Scores reported injured by morning blast at residential building in Gothenburg, Sweden

An explosion rocked Sweden’s second-largest city on Tuesday morning. Preliminary reports said over 20 people have been taken to the hospital, some of them seriously injured.

The blast went off just before 5am local time in the Annadel district in central Gothenburg, local media reported. A major evacuation was ordered from the building affected, with over a hundred residents reportedly taken to safety.

At least 23 people were injured and taken to the hospital.At least three of the people taken to the hospital are reported to be in serious condition. They were identified by the local press as women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

The explosion affected three adjacent blocks of flats and started a fire, which Swedish emergency services are yet to fully contain.

Around 50 firefighters from seven nearby stations were deployed to the scene to respond to the emergency. People in the area were warned to close their windows and stay inside due to the heavy smoke produced by the blaze.

The raging fire is preventing on-site investigations. The cause of the explosion was not immediately identified, authorities said.

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