Swedish police identify suspect in Gothenburg explosion inquiry

The male suspect was identified as being in his mid-50s but police have so far ruled out gang violence as a cause for the blast

A fire-engine is seen at the area around a health centre that was cordoned off by police in Gothenburg on Thursday (EPA)

Swedish police said Thursday they were seeking a man in connection with an explosion and fire at a large apartment building earlier this week which injured 16 people, four of them seriously.

Although he was not named, the man was said to be 55 years old and lived with his mother.

The police statement came on the first day it was deemed safe enough for investigators to begin examining the scene in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city. The explosion took place on Tuesday.

“We still do not know what caused the explosion,” senior police officer Anders Borjesson said at a news conference. “The investigation is far from over. We still have a lot ahead of us.”

A major police operation took place in Gothenburg city centre on Thursday, just a few hundred metres away from where the explosion took place. The police were informed of a bomb threat targeting a local medical centre.

A large area around the centre was cordoned off for several hours whilst police searched the area for a potential bomb and also for the man suspected of Tuesday’s explosion. That police operation also led to the evacuation of a kindergarten near the medical centre. Firefighters were seen lifting children over a fence.

According to SR, Swedish public service radio, the evidence the police has so far indicates that the two incidents appear to be related.

The explosion rocked the building in central Gothenburg early on Tuesday. Ensuing blazes spread to several apartments, and hundreds of residents were evacuated. At least 140 apartments were damaged.

Swedish media has focused on the possibility that the explosion could be connected to gang violence, following a rise in the country between organised criminal gangs. However, police and prosecutors said Thursday that “at present, there is no indication that the blast has links to gang crime”.