A large chunk of a motorway in southwest Sweden collapsed overnight, resulting in three people being taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to the police. The landslide occurred near the small town of Stenungsund, approximately 50 km north of Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast, damaging the motorway that connects Gothenburg and Oslo. The Gothenburg Rescue Services stated that the hardest hit parts of the landslide covered an area of around 150 x 100 meters, but the entire affected area measured approximately 700 x 200 meters.
The landslide impacted approximately ten vehicles, a wooded area, a business area with a gas station, and a fast-food restaurant. The rescue services mentioned that fire personnel and a helicopter were involved in assisting people out of the vehicles within the slide area. Swedish news agency TT reported that several cars and a truck had fallen into holes and cracks caused by the landslide. However, all individuals in the vehicles were successfully rescued, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the rescue services on public broadcaster SVT.
The police have initiated an investigation into whether the slide may have been caused by construction work at a nearby site. They mentioned on their website that it was still unclear if there was a connection between the blasting/work at the site and the landslide, and no one is currently suspected of a crime. The rescue services announced that they will conduct a thorough search of the area with specially trained staff and search dogs. Additionally, the possibility of further slides occurring cannot be ruled out.