Gothenburg, Sweden The Swedish city of Gothenburg was seriously injured in an explosion and fire on Tuesday and police are investigating whether explosives were placed at the scene.
At least 116 people were taken to hospital after an early morning blast set fire to an apartment block in a central residential area. Firefighters dragged people out of the building while other residents used sheets tied to get themselves off the porch as gray smoke billowed from the stairs and windows.
The Sahelgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg said hours later that the three were still in intensive care after breathing in smoke, but the injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Sweden has faced increasing gang crime and gun violence in recent years, with rival groups using explosives and firearms to settle scores. Police officers added, and the law has been tightened, to try to deal with gangs.
Bombings have become almost a weekly occurrence but injuries are rare for anyone, although in 2019 about 20 people were lightly injured when a bomb exploded in a residential area in southern Linkoping.
Prime Minister Stefan Lফfven said it was too early to say exactly what happened in Gothenburg, but that the whole of Swedish society would respond if there were criminals behind the blast.
“As a society, we will do our best against gang crime,” he told a news conference. “People should be able to feel safe.”
Police said the fire was under control and the tenants had been evacuated. Emergency services denied the cause of the gas leak.
“We believe something has exploded that is not a natural cause,” police spokesman Thomas Foxberg told a news conference.
Anja Almen, who lives in the collapsed apartment building, said she heard noise from the street just after 5 a.m., about 15 minutes after the blast.
“I went out on the porch and I was shocked. There was smoke everywhere from every staircase. “Fire trucks with ladders were pulling people out of the apartment.”
By Johan Ahlander and Helena Soderpalam
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This News Originally From – The Epoch Times
