On Sunday evening, a suspected dangerous object led to extensive cordons at the Central Station and Nordstan in Gothenburg. Public transport was stopped, police and rescue services were deployed and a preliminary investigation into a serious breach of the Flammable and Explosive Goods Act was initiated.
The police alarm was raised at 19:30. A large area was cordoned off and both tram and bus traffic was affected. The Nils Ericson terminal was also affected. On site, drones were used in the operation, while travelers and the public were kept at a distance. The central station could be partially kept open, but the exit to Nordstan was closed, reports Göteborgs-Posten.
– We have initiated a preliminary investigation into a serious violation of the Flammable and Explosive Goods Act, says the officer in charge Otto Eriksson.
According to reports, a possible technical device linked to the drone was also investigated, but the police did not comment on the details of the find during the evening.
Barricades paralyzed the area around Nordstan
The incident had immediate consequences for traffic in central Gothenburg. Västtrafik stopped several tram lines, bus lines were diverted and no buses could enter the Nils Ericson terminal. According to reports, airport buses were also affected. At the same time, parts of the area between Drottningtorget and Nordstan were closed.
Witnesses described a large police presence with police buses, plainclothes officers and drones over the scene. According to SVT, the entire Nordstan shopping center was also closed during the operation.
– We are working as fast as we can to get traffic moving again, and urge people to respect the closures, says Eriksson.
Information on technical device raised the seriousness of the investigation
In addition to the suspicious object, there were reports of a device associated with dropping hand grenades from drones. This information was not commented on by the police, but helped to raise awareness of the incident.
At the same time, the police could not confirm any arrests during the evening, despite early media reports of detentions.
Investigation continues after widespread disruption
As the operation wound down, questions remained about the suspicious object and what triggered the alarm. It is clear that the incident had a major impact on traffic around Nordstan and Central Station, where barriers and stops in public transport remained during the evening.
The further investigation is expected to provide answers as to what was behind the operation.
