The headquarters of the Swedish intelligence service Sapo was evacuated on Friday February 23, and eight people were hospitalized with “symptoms” after a gas scare, the nature of which was not specified by the authorities. Footage from the scene showed police officers equipped with gas masks, as well as emergency vehicles around the Sapo headquarters.
“There were indications today around 1 p.m. that there was a dangerous substance at the Sapo headquarters,” Patrick Soderberg, the chief doctor of the Stockholm region health service, told the Agency France-Presse (AFP).
“A total of eight people were treated in hospital with symptoms,” the Stockholm region administration said in a statement, adding that “the cause of the leak was not clear.” . Sapo spokesperson Karin Lutz told AFP that “measures were taken and emergency services were on site” after receiving an alert.
State of emergency
The Nordic country, which is on the verge of concluding its NATO membership, decided after Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago, is on alert with particular attention to a possible threat Russian against its security.
The spokesperson confirmed that the Sapo headquarters had been “partially evacuated”, but declined to say more. The police, for their part, said that a perimeter of “around two hundred meters” around the building had been closed off due to a “possible gas leak”.
Some of those hospitalized are police officers who “smelled an odor when they arrived” at the site, according to police. Around 4:30 p.m., police reported the operation was over. She later announced that an investigation had been opened for “injuries”.
According to the Aftonbladet newspaper, witnesses said they smelled what looked like the smell of paint, and that residents were asked to close their windows.
Swedish intelligence services warned on Wednesday of potential threats from Russia, but also China and Iran against the country's security.
