Several dead after bus rams into bus stop in Swedish capital Stockholm
A manslaughter investigation has been opened and a bus driver arrested after a double decker rammed into people at a stop in Sweden’s capital.
Several people were killed and others injured when a bus rammed into a bus stop queue in central Stockholm during Friday’s afternoon rush hour, police said.
“There are both injured and deceased people in the incident. Police are for the moment not commenting on the number, gender or ages of the victims,” said a police statement.
The crash happened in Ostermalm, a heavily populated close to Stockholm’s CBD which is full of shops and bars.
Local media reports three people have died, and another three are injured.
Images in Swedish media showed a swarm of police, ambulances and emergency vehicles at the scene, with rescue crews crouched down along the underside of the double-decker bus, appearing to help people trapped underneath.
Police spokesman Nadya Norton told AFP the cause of the accident was still unknown.
“The investigation will have to determine what happened. It’s too early to say and I don’t want to speculate,” she said.
She said the bus driver had been arrested and a manslaughter investigation had been opened as a matter of routine.
“We need to question him, then we’ll see if he’s going to be released or detained,” Ms Norton said.
Eyewitness accounts are now emerging of the “chaos” at the crash site.
A woman identified as Michelle MacKey, a nurse, told Sweden’s Expressen newspaper she stepped off another bus at the scene just after the accident happened.
“I crossed the road and saw the double-decker bus that had mowed down an entire bus stop queue,” she said.
She said she saw injured and dead people lying on the ground, with many screaming while others tried to help.
“There must have been more people under the bus,” she said. “I thought it was an exercise at first. That maybe they were dolls. It was so unreal. Chaos.”
Student nurse Zaid Al Hussen, 20, told local news outlet Aftonbladet he sprinted towards the carnage to help the wounded after he saw the bus veer off the road and slam into people waiting at the bus stop.
“It felt like a movie. It was surreal,” he said.
“It was terrible. I just heard a lot of screaming and people crying.
“People were lying on the ground. They had no idea what to do, they were panicking.”
Local media has said the crash was at low speed and may have been illness related.
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson reiterated that the reason for the crash was as yet unknown.
“Right now my thoughts are primarily with those who have been affected and their loved ones,” he said on social media.
“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.”
The busy Valhallavagen avenue, where the deaths occured, was reopened on Friday evening.
Police technicians were working at the scene but emergency vehicles had left.
Originally published as Several dead after bus rams into bus stop in Swedish capital Stockholm
