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FIRE

Firefighters dead after truck plunges into ravine

Two firefighters are dead and three others have been injured after a fire engine drove off the road into a ravine in central Sweden after responding to a call.

Firefighters dead after truck plunges into ravine

The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon outside of Söderbärke in Dalarna, according to police reports.

One of the firefighters who died is a man in his thirties. The other firefighter died later in the afternoon.

The other three firefighters, one of which is a woman, have minor injuries, according to Lars Andersson with emergency services in Dalarna.

The two firefighters who died had been trapped following the accident.

All of the firefighters involved in the accident worked part time for the fire department.

The accident occurred just after midday on Thursday when the fire engine passed another truck and lost control.

“Opposite is a ravine that is seven metres deep. They went straight through the fence there and directly down, so that the vehicle was hit around and ended up at the bottom of the ravine,” said Lars Andersson.

The Smedjebacken municipality has set up a support group for counseling, offering people a place to gather for support.

The group contains support personnel and counsellers from the Swedish church and the police.

Meanwhile, the police have begun a forensic investigation into the crash.

TT/The Local/og

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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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