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Laptop battery likely cause of fatal house fire

An overheated laptop battery was the likely cause of a house fire which killed a mother and her four young children in Staffanstorp in southern Sweden in early September.

Laptop battery likely cause of fatal house fire

The investigation conducted by Sweden’s National Forensic Laboratory of Forensic Science (Statens kriminaltekniska laboratorium – SKL) indicates that the fire probably started in a laptop computer which in turn ignited a couch.

However, representatives from the Lund police department added at a Thursday press conference that they aren’t 100 percent certain about the theory, adding there was nothing to suggest the fire was deliberately set.

“It was simply a tragic accident,” said detective Per Wejsfelt, according to the TT news agency.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of September 2nd, claimed the lives of a 27-year-old woman and her four children. The oldest three children were nine, seven, and five years old, while the youngest victim was only ten months old.

The mother and three of the children were found dead at the scene, while the 5-year-old was taken to hospital, but later died from her injuries.

According to Wejsfelt, the most likely scenario behind the fire was an overheating of the laptop caused by a short circuit in the computer’s battery. The computer then set fire to the couch, with flames eventually spreading up the walls to the ceiling.

“There’s no other conceivable cause for the fire. No remnants of candles, no trace of flammable liquids,” said Wejsfelt.

Damage to the house wasn’t overly extensive. All of the victims died from inhaling smoke and poisonous gases.

They were found in various parts of the house, and none of the victims were found in their beds when emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

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FIRE

Situation ‘unstable’ at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange after fire

Three days after a fire which ravaged Copenhagen's historic former stock exchange broke out, emergency services said Friday that the situation was "unstable" due to equipment issues and a strong breeze.

Situation 'unstable' at Copenhagen's old stock exchange after fire

In the morning, during work to dismantle the scaffolding surrounding the building, a crane’s cutters came loose for as of yet unknown reasons.

It is currently wedged between the scaffolding — put up for the renovation of the historic building that was ongoing — and what remains of the walls.

“It is affecting our efforts”, Tim Ole Simonsen, leader of the operation at the rescue services, told a press conference.

Coupled with the wind picking up, the incident, which has temporarily halted work on dismantling the scaffolding, has made the situation “unstable”.

“The wind is blowing harder and harder, and there are tarps over the scaffolding that can catch the wind,” Simonsen said.

He added that this increases the risks, in particular of further collapse of the burnt-out facade which started collapsing late Thursday afternoon.

Located close to the Christiansborg parliament and seat of government, the Borsen building was commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640. It was the stock exchange until the 1970s.

The fire began Tuesday morning under the copper roof of the building, which was undergoing renovations ahead of its 400th anniversary.

The cause of the blaze was unknown and Copenhagen police said Wednesday that a major investigation had been launched.

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