Five people leap from seventh-floor apartment in possible family group suicide bid

Five people have jumped from their seventh-floor high-rise apartment in Switzerland, in a possible group suicide.

Swiss police are probing the horrific incident which left four people dead and one badly injured and reportedly has involved a family.

They jumped to their death in the Swiss resort of Montreux, on Lake Geneva and Cantonal police said today that the fifth member is in a serious condition.

The Vaud cantonal police said in a tweet: "Five people were found at the foot of a building.

"One of the five victims has been hospitalised and is in serious condition.

“The four others are dead."

Police spokesperson, Alexandre Bisenz, told the 20 Minutes newspaper that the five people appeared to have jumped from their apartment, near the town's lakeside casino, for reasons unknown.

Police officers talk near the scene, after five people appeared to have jumped from their apartment (REUTERS)

Forensic teams are now investigating the balcony of the seventh-floor apartment where they jumped from.

Neighbours described a quiet family of two adults in their forties, two teenagers and a grandmother living there, the Mail Online reported.

“We heard nothing from their home, the father never said hello in the hallway and ordered many packages almost daily,” neighbour Claude Rouiller told Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

A police cordon was set up and barrier where the five people fell from the seventh-floor (REUTERS)

Rouiller added that there had been a strong smell of incense coming from the family’s apartment for the past few days.

Another resident who lives on the first floor of the building, said that they heard a “thud” around 7am on Thursday morning.

The neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said they went outside to investigate the noise and saw five bodies.

A hearse arrives at the apartment blocks where they jumped from (REUTERS)

He said: “I thought it was a bad film, I couldn't fix the image for more than a few seconds”.

Around 30 police officers were at the scene and white forensic tents had been set up in front of the building.

Lakeside city Montreux is best known as a tourist hotspot and for its annual jazz festival.

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