There is a fire in an apartment building on Stora Torget in central Borås. The fire is fully developed and a VMA has been issued.
– Police and rescue services are on the scene, and according to reports, it is a fully developed fire in an apartment on the fifth floor of a building, says Anna Hammarbäck, press spokesperson at the police.
The fire, which reportedly started on the fifth floor, is fully developed and the entire property must be evacuated, according to the police.
The witness Carl Lark was at a student celebration in the area when he suddenly received a text message from the SOS alarm, which announced that there was a fire nearby.
– After a while we saw people sitting in the burning house who had no idea that it was on fire. We tried to signal to them but got no response, then I got hold of a mirror with which I managed to dazzle the people. We then saw that they got down and I hope they managed to get out, he says.
Open flames
Police, emergency services and ambulance are on site.
– There were open flames when the emergency services got there. There is a risk of spreading to the upper floor and the attic, says Caroline Olausson, communicator at the rescue service Borås.
Shops on Österlånggatan and the connecting square at Stora Brogatan must also be emptied of people, which means that ongoing student celebrations on the square have had to be cancelled.
– Police and rescue services are on the scene, and according to reports, it is a fully developed fire in an apartment on the fifth floor of a building. The entire property will be evacuated, and they have also evacuated the square at Stora Brogatan and canceled the student celebration there, says Anna Hammarbäck, press spokesperson at the police.
VMA issued
The rescue service has started the extinguishing work, and smoke divers have also been sent into the property, says Sandra Eidergren, communicator at Södra Älvsborg’s rescue service association, for Borås Tidning.
There is currently no information on injuries.
An important notice has been issued to the public in Borås municipality. Everyone in the area is asked to go indoors and close doors and windows.
There is still no forecast for when the fire may be under control.