Several injured in fire at Swedish asylum center

Fire

Several people were injured, two of them seriously, in a fire at an asylum center in Vänersborg in Sweden.

‘The fire started on the third floor and people jumped out of the windows’, said police operations manager, Johan Josarp, of the Western Region to the Trollhättans Tidning newspaper.

Between 10 and 20 people were injured, some of them as a result of smoke inhalation, and others because they jumped from the building.

Two of them were sent to hospital with serious injuries on Sunday morning.

The cause of the fire is not known, therefore, police have routinely chosen to investigate the case as arson.

‘The fire is categorised as arson. There are no suspects, and we will conduct a technical investigation to clarify how the fire started. Part of the premises are no longer possible to use’, said Josarp.

The Immigration Board and the municipality were working early on Sunday morning to find accommodation alternatives for the asylum centre’s residents, reported SR Väst. According to Vänersborg Municipality’s website, last May there were 1200 people staying at the reception centre.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today