An alleged machete attack at the Savalalo market on Saturday afternoon has landed one man in Police custody.

A video of a machete-wielding man at the Savavalo Fish market went viral on social media at around 2pm on Saturday with the footage showing members of the public fearing for their lives after he attacked two unidentified males.

Police and Prisons Commissioner, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, confirmed the incident and advised that a male is currently in  custody in relation to the matter.

He added that the Police have arrested a male over the incident and two others were getting treatment at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital. 

“We have arrested one and the other two injured are held at the hospital now,” he said in a telephone interview with the Samoa Observer. “I have the names but we won’t release them and we still don’t know the details of why this happened but it’s very unfortunate.

“We have the case and we have someone in custody now. We’ve got the knife and we’ve got good witnesses as well and we have witnesses that this is the individual that did it.”

Fuiavailiili said the charges against the man are yet to be drawn up, but he can confirm a male has been taken into custody over the incident.

Alosina Seumanutafa Faalia, the member of the public who uploaded the viral video, said he witnessed the alleged attack at the fish market.

“The two boys whom he struck with his machete were rushed to the hospital after getting severely injured by the hits of his machete,” he said. “It was scary for members of the public when he went around the market after that with his machete like a boss.”

Mr. Seumanutafa said that the attack is connected to reports that the machete-wielding man borrowed money from one of his two victims and refused to pay it back. 

“That’s what the female whose husband is the brother of the one that fell into the sea after getting hit by this guy (with the machete) told me,” he said.

The video footage showed an altercation between the machete-wielding man and an unidentified man, whom he struck with his machete, leading to him falling into the harbour adjourning the fish market.

The other unidentified male tried to stop the machete-wielding man from causing more harm, only to be chased around the market by the angry man, and consequently frightening members of the public who were there to do their market.

The two injured males were then rushed to the hospital after around 2pm, according to Mr. Seumanutafa, while their attacker got into his car and drove off with the Police giving chase soon after.