STOCKHOLM (AP) – Traces of a toxic, colorless gas have been found at the headquarters of Sweden’s security services, where authorities evacuated about 500 people from the facility last week after a suspected gas leak, a local newspaper said Wednesday. Reported.
The daily Svenska Dagbladet reported that authorities had found traces of phosgene. This gas has a strong odor that causes vomiting and difficulty breathing, and was used as a weapon in World War I.
No comments were immediately available from those involved.
On February 23, 2024, the headquarters of the Swedish Security Agency (Sapo) in Solna, north of Stockholm, received a report of a suspected gas leak on the premises, and police officers wearing gas masks stood guard at the scene. Seven people were transported. A hospital and the offices of the Swedish Security Agency (Sapo) were evacuated on Friday following a suspected gas leak, authorities said, adding that the cause of the leak was unknown. (Photo by: FREDRIK PERSSON / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by: FREDRIK PERSSON/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
On Friday, eight people from the headquarters in Solna, just north of Stockholm, were hospitalized after being evacuated. There were no reports of anyone seriously injured.
Officials said those hospitalized had difficulty breathing. Police said some officers smelled gas when they arrived at the scene.
Images showed first responders and police officers wearing gas masks at security headquarters. Swedish media reported that a zone 500 meters (about 547 yards) in diameter had been set up for protection.
At the time, authorities asked people living near the Swedish security agency, known by its acronym SAPO, to keep their windows closed.
After the evacuation, SAPO announced on Friday that rescue teams “confirmed that there was no gas either on the premises or outside the building.”
