A quiet Friday afternoon in Stockholm turned tragic when a double-decker bus barreled into a bus stop, killing three people and injuring three others, according to police.
The crash occurred at 3:23 p.m. along Valhallavägen, a busy road cutting through the Östermalm district in the northern part of the capital, close to the Royal Institute of Technology.
Authorities Launch Criminal Investigation
Police said the incident is currently being treated as a case of involuntary manslaughter. Swedish news agency TT reported that the driver had been detained and would be questioned as part of the inquiry. Photos from the site showed the front of the bus heavily crushed, underscoring the force of the impact.
Emergency services confirmed that the vehicle was a standard city bus but was not carrying passengers at the time. No one other than the driver was on board when it hit the shelter, TT said.
Emergency Response At The Scene
Police, rescue crews, and multiple ambulances quickly converged on the site as the situation unfolded. Images published by the daily newspaper Aftonbladet showed emergency personnel surrounding a blue double-decker bus, with debris scattered around it.
The crash occurred near the Royal Institute of Technology, a central and heavily trafficked area of the city.
Prime Minister Reacts
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson posted a statement on X acknowledging the heartbreaking loss of life.
He said he had “received the tragic news that several people have been killed and injured at a bus stop … People who were perhaps on their way home to family, friends, or a quiet evening at home.”
Kristersson added that while the cause of the crash remains unknown, his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones during what he described as an unimaginably difficult moment.
