Several people have been killed after a bus crashed into a bus stop in central Stockholm on Friday afternoon, Swedish police said.
A large number of police cars and ambulances were on the scene, attending to the casualties. Rescuers said that some people were “seriously” injured. Five people are said to have been affected by the incident, according to authorities.
The driver was arrested, and the crash is being investigated as aggravated manslaughter, Swedish outlet Aftonbladet reports.
Police said they would not comment on specifics relating to the details of the victims, including the gender or ages of those killed or injured.
Authorities said it was too early to say what had caused the incident, which took place at 3.23pm (2.23pm GMT) on Friday in the Ostermalm area, a large district in central Stockholm. The crash is said to have occurred near the city’s Royal Institute of Technology.
Valhallavägen, the street near where the collision happened, has been cordoned off by emergency services.
“I have received the tragic news that several people have lost their lives and been injured at a bus stop in central Stockholm,” prime minister Ulf Kristersson wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Friday.
“People who may have been on their way home to family, friends, or a quiet evening at home.
“We do not yet know the cause of this, but right now my thoughts are primarily with those who have been affected and their loved ones. Police, ambulance, and rescue services now have a very difficult and important job to do. I urge everyone to show consideration and understanding for their tasks.”
Sweden’s deputy prime minister Ebba Busch added: “Devastated by the terrible news that people have lost their lives after a bus crashed into a bus shelter in central Stockholm.”
“The government is closely following the developments and is in close contact with the relevant authorities.”
Several people are said to have run into local shops crying when the crash occurred, witnesses told SVT.
“It is being investigated as involuntary manslaughter,” a police spokesperson said, adding that there was no information to suggest it had been an attack. “The bus driver has been arrested but that is routine in such an incident.”
SVT reported that the vehicle was not supposed to be in service at the time of the incident.
A spokesperson for Transdev told The Independent: “At 3:20 pm today, one of our buses drove into a bus shelter on Vallhallavägen at the eastern station in central Stockholm. At the moment, we do not know why this happened, but we hope that the ongoing investigation will provide answers to it.
“The bus was not in service at the time, so there were no passengers on board. The bus had no known faults and was inspected and considered an approved vehicle in May. The brake pads were changed just a week ago.
“No remarks have been made on alcolocks (checked via log system for the vehicles). The information we have received at present is that people have died and additional people have been taken to hospital with injuries. We do not have detailed information about the injury situation.
“Our thoughts are with the affected and their families and we are, of course, cooperating fully with the police and authorities to get clarity on what has happened.”
Mathias Häglund, the commanding officer of the rescue service, said that only the driver had been on board, according to Euro News.
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