Several people have been killed after a truck was driven into crowds in Drottninggatan, a main shopping street in Stockholm.
16:44, UK,Friday 07 April 2017
Police say they are investigating a “deliberate” attack after a truck drove into pedestrians in Stockholm, killing several people and injuring several more.
According to Sky sources, a suspect is thought to have run towards an underground station and a manhunt is underway.
Swedish prime minister Stefan Lofven has said everything points to the incident, which happened just before 1300GMT, being “a terror attack”.
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Brewery Spendrups said the truck had been taken earlier in the day, local media has reported.
The company’s communications director Marten Lyth told Swedish paper Aftonbladet the vehicle was stolen as the driver was unloading at a restaurant.
He said the driver was unharmed but shocked.
Swedish broadcaster SVT says shots have been fired in the area, although security services have not confirmed this.
There are also reports of a separate shooting incident in a second location about 20 minutes from the pedestrian shopping street where the crash took place.
According to local reports, one eye witness in the shopping mall said she saw “hundreds of people” running for their lives.
Another witness described the panic, saying: “I went to the main street when a big truck came out of nowhere. I could not see if anyone was driving it but it got out of control. I saw at least two being run over. I ran as fast as I could from there.”
Others reported hearing screams and seeing “a huge truck” crashing into the wall of a shop in the Ahlens shopping department at 1pm local time.
Thick smoke could be seen coming from the building, as police urged people to evacuate the area.
Armed police have cordoned off the scene, and police cars, helicopters and ambulances are at the scene.
The underground has also been evacuated by police.
A source has also told Reuters news agency that the Swedish government’s offices have been closed and all ministers are safe.
The European Commission tweeted: “An attack on any of our Member States is an attack on us all”.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Our thoughts go out to the people in Stockholm, to the injured, their relatives, rescuers and police.
“We stand together against terror.”
