A 24-year-old man has died and a teenager has been arrested after two men were stabbed at the Church of Scientology’s Australasian headquarters in Sydney.

The 24-year-old, who worked at the centre, was stabbed in the neck and taken to Royal North Shore hospital, but died on Thursday afternoon.

An older man, also an employee, was injured “superficially” and was in a stable condition.

The 16-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and taken to Chatswood police station for questioning.

Detective chief inspector Simon Jones said the two injured men were escorting the 16-year-old off the premises of the religious centre on Greville Street in Chatswood.

“The staff made the decision that he should leave the premises,” he said. “[The teenager] was being walked out. For some reason, something happened. He removed the knife and caused the injuries that resulted in this tragedy.”

Jones said police believe the 16-year-old had a family member who attended the church, and that that family member was there on the day.

The employees had made the decision to remove the teenage boy “in relation to a domestic incident that occurred yesterday,” he said.

The boy then allegedly produced a sharp 20-25cm kitchen knife and stabbed the 24-year-old man, who Jones said was believed to be a Taiwanese national.

He said the incident happened on the driveway of the centre.

Police carry out an evidence bag after two men were stabbed at the Church of Scientology Sydney headquarters in Chatswood @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/zFghWrHlkC — Elizabeth Bryan (@LizzyBryan1) January 3, 2019

The 13,500 square metre building – which was opened in September 2016 – is the largest Scientology centre outside the United States.

The church on its website says the “Ideal Advanced Organisation in Sydney provides advanced religious services to Scientologists from across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region”.

The site formerly housed the National Acoustic Laboratory and was purchased by the church for a reported $37m in 2014.