A tragic scene unfolded in central Stockholm on Friday when a double-decker bus veered into a crowded bus-stop queue, killing several people and injuring others during the busy rush hour, Swedish police said.
Swedish media quickly broadcast images of a massive emergency response: police officers, ambulances, and rescue crews surrounding the bus, with responders crouched beneath the vehicle as they worked to reach people trapped underneath.
“There are both injured and deceased people in the incident,” police said in an official statement, adding that they were not yet releasing details on the number, ages, or identities of the victims.
Health authorities confirmed that two seriously injured individuals had been rushed to hospital, AFP reported.
Police spokesperson Nadya Norton said the cause of the crash remains unknown.
“The investigation will have to determine what happened. It’s too early to say, and I don’t want to speculate,” she told AFP.
The bus driver has been arrested, and a routine manslaughter investigation has been opened.
“We need to question him, then we’ll see if he’s going to be released or detained,” Norton added. Authorities received the first emergency calls at 3:23 pm (1423 GMT).
Prime Minister Responds
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed shock and sorrow, saying his thoughts were with those killed, the injured, and their families.
“I have received the tragic news that several people have died and been injured at a bus stop in central Stockholm,” he wrote on X. He added that many victims were likely “on their way home to family, friends, or a quiet evening at home.”
Eyewitnesses Describe “Chaos”
Michelle Mac Key, an eyewitness who had just stepped off another bus, told Expressen that she saw the immediate aftermath.
“I crossed the road and saw the double-decker bus that had mowed down an entire bus-stop queue,” she said.
She described people screaming, rushing to help, and both injured and lifeless bodies on the ground. “There must have been more people under the bus,” she added. A trained nurse, she and another bystander—a doctor—offered assistance to police.
“They told us to stand next to the dead bodies,” she said.
At first, she thought the scene was staged: “I thought it was an exercise… that maybe they were dolls. It was so unreal. Chaos.”
Another nearby resident told Aftonbladet she was lying in bed when she heard a deafening crash followed by screams. From her window, she saw the wrecked bus and victims on the ground.
Scene Secured
Two hours after the collision, part of the busy Valhallavägen avenue remained cordoned off. While police forensic teams continued to work at the scene, most emergency vehicles had departed. Authorities have not yet provided further updates on the total number of casualties.
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