A major rescue effort was launched on Friday after a gas alarm at Säpo’s headquarters in Solna.
Several people were taken to hospital and parts of the building were evacuated, but according to Säpo there was no gas.
– After the rescue service’s intervention, we were able to establish that there was no gas inside the building or outside, says Karl Melin, press manager at Säpo.
At lunchtime, the gas alarm came from the Security Police headquarters. A major rescue effort was launched and police with gas masks were seen in the area as parts of the building were evacuated.
A large cordon was set up, schools and preschools were occupied and residents were denied access to their homes.
– At lunchtime today we received a gas alarm at the Security Police headquarters in Solna. Then the emergency services were called and in connection with that the building was partially evacuated, says Karl Melin, press manager at Säpo.
At 16.26 the rescue service and the police were able to finish the operation.
According to information to TV4 Nyheterna, sensors on the roof must have detected the former combat gas phosgene. Säpo did not want to comment on the information initially, but announced on Friday evening that there should not have been any gas at all.
– After the rescue service’s intervention, we were able to establish that there was no gas inside the building or outside, says Karl Melin, press manager at Säpo.
According to Säpo, the emergency services were not able to establish that there was any gas. At the moment, Säpo does not want to comment on why the alarm went off, but believes that it is a later issue to investigate.
The police are investigating the incident
The police operations manager decided during the evening to start an investigation after the gas alarm.
“In an overall assessment of the documentation from the incident, the police chief has decided to investigate what it is that may have caused the gas alarm,” the police write on their website.
– There is a general value in finding out where the scent comes from. A police officer has evidently become ill and taken to hospital. There is a societal interest in investigating where this is coming from, says Ola Österling, police spokesperson.
The incident is being investigated as causing bodily harm and the damage consists of nausea. The police do not have any suspects.
– There was a smell that was caused by something, we take the safe before the unsafe so that nothing falls between the chairs, to see if there has been something, says Ola Österling.