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'Stay home' warning as Storm Louis blows roof off Gothenburg station

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
'Stay home' warning as Storm Louis blows roof off Gothenburg station
Workers try to repair tracks at Gothenburg Central Station after a part of the roof blew off. Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT

Police have warned people to stay inside as Storm Louis batters western Sweden, blowing parts of the roof off Gothenburg Central Station.

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Trains have been cancelled, bridges closed and power cut off in several places as winds of more than 30 metres per second hammer lage parts of Halland, Vastra Götaland, Värmland and Dalarna.

"I've never been involved in anything like this," Caroline Karlsson from the police in western Sweden, told the TT newswire. "Since 5am this morning, we have received over 150 reports of fallen trees. I've never seen anything like it and it's seriously disturbed traffic. 

Part of the roof at Gothenburg Central Station blew off at around 8.30am, cutting off electricity to several tracks at the station for several hours.  

"Track 7 and tracks 9 to 16 are going to opened at half capacity," Angelika Knutsson, a press spokesperson for the Swedish Transport Administration, told SVT at around 11am. "Track 8 is going to stay closed as it has been damaged and there is no forecast as to when it can be opened again." 

The Tjörnbron bridge has been closed after a car dragging a trailer was overturned by the wind, and the Uddevala bridge has also been closed. 

The roof of a restaurant in the main square in the town of Stenungsund was also blown off, causing the square to be cordoned off.

In a press release, the fire servives said that they had been on constant call dealing with dangerous damage to buildings. 

"Among other things, there are loose objects which can fly a long way and represent a danger to the public, for example parts of buildings, signs and other loose objects outside," the press release read. 

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The police have advised people to only travel if absolutely necessary. 

"If you don't need to go out today, you should stay inside. If you are outside and driving, drive carefully and stay alert," Karlsson said.

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