Landslide causes large chunk of Swedish motorway to collapse


  • World
  • Saturday, 23 Sep 2023

A view of a partially collapsed motorway following a landslide near Stenungsund Sweden September 23 2023.   Adam IhseTT News Agencyvia REUTERS

A view of a partially collapsed motorway following a landslide, near Stenungsund, Sweden September 23, 2023. Adam Ihse/TT News Agency/via REUTERS

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A large chunk of a motorway in southwest Sweden collapsed overnight, causing three people to be taken to hospital with light injuries, police said on Saturday.

The landslide damaged the motorway between Sweden's second-biggest city Gothenburg and Norway's capital Oslo, near the small town of Stenungsund, around 50 km north of Gothenburg on Sweden's west coast.

"The hardest hit parts of the landslide area measure around 150 x 100 meters. In total, however, the landslide has affected an area of around 700 x 200 meters," the Gothenburg Rescue Services said in a statement.

The slide affected around ten vehicles, a wooded area, a business area with a gas station and a fast food restaurant, the rescue services said.

"A number of people have been helped out of vehicles in the slide area with the help of fire personnel and a helicopter."

Several cars and one truck had fallen into holes and cracks caused by the landslide, Swedish news agency TT reported.

A rescue services spokesperson told public broadcaster SVT all people in the vehicles had been helped out.

KWAP, MFF INK MOU TO ACCELERATE BIODIVERSITY, NET ZERO GOALS

Police said on their website they had launched a probe into whether work at a nearby construction site may have caused the slide.

"It's still unclear if there is any connection to blasting/work at the site and the landslide," they said. "No person is currently suspected of a crime."

The rescue services said specially trained staff and search dogs would now search the area, and that further slides could not be ruled out.

(Reporting by Anna RingstromEditing by Peter Graff)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read


All Headlines:

Want to listen to full audio?

Unlock unlimited access to enjoy personalise features on the TheStar.com.my

Already a member? Log In