The man, in his early 60s, died at the scene of the car accident while his wife, also in her 60s, was rushed to the Sunderby hospital where she later died, as reported by the local Norrbotens Kuriren.

Following major relief efforts, five people had been taken to the Luleå hospital after their cars collided head-on just before 3pm Saturday afternoon on County Road 374 outside Vidsel.

Police said there were four people in the second car, including two women in their 30s and a 7-year-old girl. The three were treated for minor injuries after complaining of back pain.

Emergency services received a call about the accident at 2.47pm.

According to police, the deceased couple’s car was preparing to turn onto a smaller road when they were hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Three ambulances, a helicopter and a police patrol were called to the scene.

The man was trapped in his car before rescue teams were able to dislodge him.

“The man died immediately at the accident site. His wife was seriously injured and sent to Sunderby hospital. At 10pm on Saturday night we were informed that she died from her injuries,” duty police officer Eric Johansson told Norrbottens Kuriren.

The man and his wife, born in 1947 and 1948, were members of Älvsby municipality.

The incident resulted in major traffic disruptions in the area. Accessibility was restricted during the rescue operation causing long traffic jams. At 5pm traffic began to flow again past the scene of the accident.