A 16-year-old refugee is accused of luring a young Austrian woman into a house, forcing her into a basement and attempting to rape her.

The Libyan teenager is being held by police after the 18-year-old woman was rescued from a cellar in Vienna.

A second, older woman, 20, managed to tear herself away from her attacker on Saturday and alerted police.

Accused: The 16-year-old Libyan refugee is said to have met the women on the subway in Vienna and asked them to join him for a drink. He is accused of taking them to a house and trying to force them into a basement

The migrant, who is registered as living in an asylum centre in the capital, allegedly met the two friends on the subway between Spittelau and Praterstern at 4am on Saturday.

He is said to have convinced them to join him for a drink at a bar, but instead took them to a house and tried to pull them downstairs into the basement.

He allegedly grabbed both women by their arms, according to a police report, but the younger of the friends escaped.

She frantically called police to report that her friend was being held against her will at a property close to Prater amusement park, home to the iconic Vienna Ferris Wheel.

The 18-year-old said she was forced to the floor and the Libyan teenager allegedly attempted to rape her.

Reported: The younger of the two women called police to report that her friend was being held against her will at a property close to Prater amusement park (pictured)

'She was dragged down to the basement where he tried to rape her, but she fought vehemently and managed to fend him off until the officers showed up,' police spokesman Roman Hahslinger told MailOnline.

He said the assailant is a Libyan teenager who lived in a migrant centre in Vienna, while he awaited a decision on his asylum application.

He was charged with attempted rape and appeared before a judge on Saturday. Police said he denied all charges.