Explosion in southern town in Sweden injures 19, cause unclear

Cause of explosion remained unclear, police opened criminal investigation

A powerful explosion in the southern Swedish town of Linkoping on Friday damaged buildings and lightly injured 25 people, police said.

The cause of the explosion was unclear but police said a bomb squad was on its way to the scene in downtown Linkoping and that they had opened a criminal investigation.

“There is nothing that indicates that this incident is terror-related, we do not see that,” police spokeswoman Asa Willsund.

“We think that it occurred was outside,” Willsund said of the explosion. “We estimate that there are 25 people with minor injuries - no serious injuries or deaths.”

Swedish public radio reported that a large blast had destroyed the windows and balconies of a five-story residential building and damaged other neighbouring buildings.

“Many people called in about a very powerful explosion which has led to a large number of windows being blown out,” police spokesman Bjorn Oberg said.

“So far we have been able to confirm that there are a number of people with light injuries. We have cordoned off a large area, several blocks.”

Pontus Johansson, a 21-year-old engineer who lives in a building nearby, said he was in the shower when he heard a loud bang.

“First I didn’t think it was anything bad, then I saw the neighbour’s window was broken so I left our apartment and saw the chaos outside,” he told Reuters.