Thousands of youth gathered on the parking lot outside the Asecs shopping center on Easter Eve, according to official sources. A caravan started burning in the middle of the large crowd shortly after 23:00, though why the caravan caught fire remains unclear. No person was injured in connection with the fire, despite thousands of people being on the parking lot at the time.
The Asecs center attracted very many people on Saturday evening, similar to Friday, with official sources noting the level of intoxication was high. Police on site had to detain a large number of people due to the chaotic conditions. This incident preceded a broader outbreak of car fires and vandalism by masked youths across Sweden on Monday evening.
Dramatic footage showed youths targeting vehicles in a shopping centre and hospital car park at Frölunda Torg in the west of the country, according to research from two sources. The largest group of youngsters apparently gathered in Trollhättan north of Gothenburg where as many as 40 people threw stones and started fires, multiple reports indicate. Footage showed cars burning bright orange in a large car park at Frölunda Torg, which includes a specialist hospital and a major shopping centre.
There were also reports of young people setting cars on fire in Hjällbo, Malmo, and Helsingborg, according to research from two sources. Specific locations and details emerged from the Swedish car fires and vandalism spree. Several cars were set on fire on a street in Trollhättan, rescue services confirmed.
Around 80 vehicles had been vandalised in total, with three caravans and a truck also targeted, and witnesses describing 'dark-haired' youngsters launching the attacks, Swedish television reported. Emergency services were tackling the apparent outbreak of violence with no injuries reported, according to Swedish police. Swedish national radio reported that around 40 firefighters were in action tackling the different blazes across the affected regions.
Police are investigating whether the various blazes which broke out across the country were related. All the fires had been extinguished by midnight and police said the 'identification of young people was ongoing' although it was not clear if any arrests had been made. According to police, while most fires started within a short period of time, it cannot be excluded that there is a connection between the fires, and the case will be investigated thoroughly.
The motive behind the coordinated attacks remains unknown, and authorities have not confirmed how many arrests have been made in connection with the incidents. Separate from the mass vandalism, police dealt with several assault cases and other incidents across Sweden. Several cases of assault were reported, official sources stated.
In one incident, a man was stabbed in Bro centrum, and a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault, police confirmed. In Gothenburg, police found a silken chicken in a trash room and are trying to find its owner. An explosion occurred in Taxinge, Nykvarn, causing minor damage to a house, according to police reports.
While most fires started within a short period of time, it can not be excluded that there is a connection between the fires, the case will be investigated.
Additional car fires were reported in Sweden and neighboring Finland. Three people were arrested and suspected after a car fire in Kongsvinger that spread to a nearby apartment, police said. In Finland, a car caught fire on a parking lot in Kuopio, with the driver escaping unharmed, rescue services confirmed.
A car fire in Tromsø, Norway, spread to a carport, but was extinguished with no injuries, according to police and rescue services. More vehicle fires occurred in Sweden and Norway, some with fatal consequences. Two cars were destroyed in a fire in Motala, rescue services reported.
An A-tractor caught fire while driving between Haparanda and Karungi, with no injuries, according to rescue services. A man died after being run over by a quad bike outside Skyttorp near Uppsala, police confirmed. Internationally, attacks in Lebanon and an airport fire in Kuwait made headlines.
Nine healthcare workers were killed in five separate attacks in Lebanon on Saturday, the World Health Organization reported. A fire broke out at Kuwait International Airport after Iranian drone attacks, damaging radar systems and fuel tanks, according to the Kuwait News Agency. Other international incidents included an explosion in England and a death in Spain.
A person was taken to hospital after an explosion at a retail park in Bradford, Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service stated. In Spain, a Norwegian teenage girl was found dead in water in Gran Canaria, Spanish police confirmed. Back in Sweden, additional incidents ranged from an accident to a lottery win.
A person got stuck in a machine at a gym in Trollhättan, rescue services reported. A person won 26 million kronor in the Swedish lottery by getting seven correct numbers, according to Svenska spel. Vehicle fires were also reported in England and Norway, affecting transportation.
A train fire near Newton Abbot halted services between Exeter and Paignton, according to multiple media reports. A Ferrari caught fire on the M1 motorway in England, with the occupants shaken but OK, the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed. In Glumslöv, Sweden, authorities addressed a gas canister risk that caused significant traffic disruptions.
There is a risk that gas canisters could explode, and all traffic near the town of Glumslöv has been halted by the Swedish Transport Administration, including the Pågatåg train line, road 1350, plus the busses between Landskrona and Helsingborg, Swedish Television reported. The stoppages could last until 2 am on Thursday, police said. Experts from the Malmö police bomb disposal unit have been called in to try to reduce the risk of explosions.
The violence in Sweden comes just three weeks before Swedish voters go to the polls in a general election, according to research from two sources. In a separate international military development, Israel's air defense missile stocks are critically low after Iranian attacks, according to Semafor.