Cause of blast on roundabout in Gothenburg is unclear, but police open criminal investigation

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Four people, including a young girl, have been killed after a car exploded on a roundabout in Sweden’s second city of Gothenburg, police say.

The cause of Friday’s explosion was unclear, but police said they had started a criminal investigation.

Few details were initially released, but police confirmed on Saturday that three people had been pronounced dead at the scene. The girl was taken to hospital where she later died.

The victims’ ages and identities were not given.

Rescuers said the car had exploded on a roundabout near a fire station and was destroyed by the time they arrived.

Gothenburg has been experiencing a surge in violent conflict between rival criminal gangs, including a restaurant shooting in March that left two people dead.