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As it happenedended1491586950

Stockholm attack latest: Manhunt for suspect in green jacket after lorry ploughs into crowd

Police treating incident as terror attack

Adam Withnall,Benjamin Kentish
Friday 07 April 2017 14:34 BST
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Scene after the truck attack in Stockholm sees crowds flee

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A lorry has been driven into crowds in central Stockholm in what police are treating as a terror attack.

Here are the latest updates:

Manhunt for suspect in green jacket after lorry kills three and injures 'many' more

Witnesses describe horror of attack where hundreds fled for their lives

Police say lorry was hijacked earlier today and incident is being treated as terror attack

Why Sweden - and was it Isis? Everything we know so far

A lorry has crashed into a crowd of people in central Stockholm killing at least three people, Swedish police have said.

Armed police rushed to the scene and shots have been fired, Swedish radio reported.

The incident occurred at Ahlens Mall in Drottninggatan, a shopping area of the city, which has been cordoned off.

A witness told Swedish daily paper Aftonbladet: “I went to the main street when a big truck came out of nowhere. I could not see if anyone was driving it but it got out of control. I saw at least two being run over. I ran as fast as I could from there.”

Another witness told the paper they saw hundreds of people “running for their lives” outside the shopping centre.

“A vehicle has injured people on Drottningatan,” police spokeswoman Towe Hagg told Reuters.

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Theatres in Stockholm have cancelled a number of performances scheduled for Friday night, as police advise people to stay away from the centre of the Swedish capital. "We know that in the hours after a terrorist incident there is a greater risk of further incidents", they said. .

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 17:31
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More on the man police are hunting in connection with the attack. Officers did not formally describe him as a suspect but said he was present at the scene of the incident and they urgently want to speak to him. The image they have released of him (see below) was taken today, close to the scene of the crime.  Members of the public have been warned not to approach him but to call police immediately if they see him.

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 17:38
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Sweden's national rail company, SJ, says all trains to and from Stockholm's central station have been cancelled for the rest of the day.

"No SJ trains will go either to or from Stockholm Central for the rest of the day", the company said in a statement.

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 17:39
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More eyewitnesses have been speaking about the attack. Glen Foran, an Australian tourist in his 40s, told Reuters: "I turned around and saw a big truck coming towards me. It swerved from side to side. It didn't look out of control, it was trying to hit people.

"It hit people, it was terrible. It hit a pram with a kid in it, demolished it.

"It took a long time for police to get here. I suppose from their view it was quick, but it felt like forever."

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 17:53
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram to the King of Sweden to express his condolences. 

"In our country, people know, and not by hearsay, about the atrocities of international terrorism. At this difficult time, Russians mourn together with the people of Sweden", Putin said in the message, which was also published on the Kremlin website.

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:00
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The foreign ministers of Germany and France have issued a joint statement in response to the attack. 

Sigmar Gabriel and Jean-Marc Ayrault highlighted Sweden's efforts to promote human rights, peace and justice around the world.

"This makes the shock about the pictures coming from the heart of Stockholm that much greater", they said, expressing solidarity with "all people in Sweden".

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:02
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also expressed his shock at what he called the "horrific" attack in Stockholm. 

"The full details are still emerging, but once again it looks like we have seen a despicable act of terrorism aimed at harming innocent people and attacking our shared values of democracy, freedom, justice and tolerance", he said in a statement.

"Londoners know how it feels to suffer from senseless and cowardly terrorism. And I know we share a steely determination with the people of Stockholm that we will never allow terrorists to succeed

"We will never be cowed by terrorism, and today - London stands united with Stockholm and Londoners stand with the people of Stockholm."

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:05
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Swedish brewery Spendrups has confirmed it owned the truck used in the attack and said it was hijacked earlier on Friday. 

"It is one of our delivery trucks. In connection with a delivery to a restaurant called Caliente, someone jumped into the truck and drove it away while the driver was unloading his delivery," a company spokesman, Marten Luth, told the Swedish news agency TT. 

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:09
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Swedish police say they are questioning two people in connection with the lorry attack. These are not necessarily suspects, officers said. 

"I can confirm that we have taken in two people for questioning, but that does not necessary means that they are suspects," police spokesman Lars Bystrom said.

"We want to talk to everybody who knows anything about this and sometimes it's better to talk at the police station than place of event."

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:15
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Swedish media reports suggest the Stockholm metro and local commuter train routes will soon re-open, but will not stop at the Central Station or Haymarket, close to the site of the attack.

Kristin Hugo7 April 2017 18:42

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