Monday, August 22, 2016
Police investigators at the scene of the blast in Gothenburg. Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT
UPDATED: A child has died in an explosion at an apartment block in Gothenburg suburb Biskopsgården during the early hours of Monday morning.
Emergency services were called to the building at around 03:00 when a large explosion was heard from its third floor. Several people were inside at the time, and a child who had suffered serious injuries later died in hospital.
“The deceased person is a child of eight years old,” police information officer Ulla Brehm told news agency TT.
The incident has been given a preliminary classification of murder/manslaughter by authorities, who also said that individuals convicted of serious violent crimes were living in the residence.
According to regional daily GT one of the men convicted over a fatal shooting at a restaurant in the area last year was registered at the address.
“We have our theories over what happened but we won’t come out with anything before forensic investigators have been to the scene,” Brehm added.
One witness who spoke to newspaper Göteborgs Posten claimed that a hand grenade caused the blast, but that has not been confirmed by police.
Officers are currently examining the site and knocking doors in an attempt to gain more information. No arrests have been made.