The explosion occurred outside a residential area with low blocks of flats in the district of Ekholmen in Linköping, two hours’ drive south-west of Stockholm. According to local media, at least one apartment has been completely blown out after the explosion. An outer wall of the house has collapsed and it is possible to see straight into several apartments. The police and fire service received a report of an explosion in a residential area in Järdalavägen in Linköping shortly after 6 o’clock on Tuesday. The fire brigade has moved out with large forces. Residents in the area have been evacuated and the municipality has opened a gymnasium for those who are now without a place to stay. There have so far been no reports of anyone being injured. Three injured in explosion in Stockholm Around 9pm on Monday, the police were alerted to an explosion in a block of flats in Hässelby strand west of Stockholm. Between 25 and 30 people were evacuated. Witnesses in the area report a loud bang in connection with the explosion. The police are now investigating the case as attempted murder. – I heard it, and it hit like hell, says a resident in the area to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. Possibly gang-related The newspaper writes that the police are investigating whether the explosion could be aimed at relatives of a person who is in conflict with a criminal network. The explosion is said to have occurred in a stairwell. Three adults have been sent to hospital following the incident. Parts of the facade are destroyed, windows are broken and a gate is completely blown out. In the street, residents stood and froze with woolen blankets around them. – One of them is slightly more injured than the other two, but it is probably not a matter of life-threatening injuries, says Anna Westberg, spokesperson for the police, to the news agency TT. According to TV4, the national bomb squad has been sent to the scene. Sweden hit by violence Sweden has recently been hit by a wave of violence. In September alone, nine people were shot and killed in the country. The wave of violence could turn out to be one of the bloodiest in many years. It is not known whether today’s explosion is connected to the recent episodes of violence. Photos from the area show the extent of the damage after the explosion Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT / NTB – It sounded like a bomb, a person who lives nearby tells Expressen. – When I went out on the balcony, a girl came and jumped out and shouted “help me”. The explosion could also be felt in Rinkeby, which is a couple of kilometers away. The police state that the homes in the area have been evacuated – a nearby school should be open for residents in the area. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT / NTB
ttn-69
