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'Drunkenness aplenty, but little violence': police

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
'Drunkenness aplenty, but little violence': police

Drunkenness aplenty, but not much blood, was Gotland's police station's summary of the events of New Year's Eve, a summary that seems to apply for much of Sweden. However, in the northern city Umeå, a 45 year-old man was severely injured following an brawl.

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"He's received damage to the lower part of his body. A weapon was used, but we don't want to publicize the type of weapon used," county officer Tommy Nilsson told news agency TT.

A man has been arrested for assault, alternatively attempted murder. The two men knew each other from before.

"As far as we tell, this is the result of a party derailing," Tommy Nilsson said.

Fireworks caused several fires in the Stockholm area around midnight. An apartment in the Stockholm suburb Sätra was set ablaze, as well as the stairwell of a nearby building, both fires probably caused by fireworks fired in through windows. One person had to go to the hospital after having breathed in smoke.

An apartment building in the southern city Linköping also experienced a fire, where one person was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries. When the emergency services arrived, one apartment was burned out, and several others had been damaged by fire and smoke. The residents were evacuated.

Malmö had a calmer New Year's celebration than usual, with fewer arrests than the previous New Year, according to police statistics. The fireworks caused several fires in this city also, however, while inhabitants of the regions Värmland and Södermanland managed to keep their fireworks in check.

The regions Halland, Jönköping, Gotland and Västra Götaland also experienced a relatively calm New Year's Eve, said the police.

"We've had a busy night, but nothing particularly serious. Mostly bar-related issues, such as drunkenness and assault," said Mats Jarlhede, deputy spokesman of the Gothenburg police force.

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