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Explosion at Finnish mall kills 6, hurts 55
©Associated Press VANTAA, Finland -- An explosion collapsed part of a building at a suburban shopping mall Friday evening, killing at least six people in injuring 55. Police said they didn't know what caused the blast at the mall in Vantaa, 10 miles north of Helsinki, but hadn't ruled anything out, including a bomb. The glass-covered mall was packed with up to 2,000 shoppers when the explosion erupted near a spiral staircase between the second and third floors. "Glass fell down from the third floor, and children and parents were in total panic when they saw the injured people," said shopper Orvokki Neuvonen. "Mothers were screaming. Among the shattered glass were injured and unconscious people." The injured included 12 with serious wounds. "This is the most serious accident since World War II in (the) Helsinki (region)," said Eero Hirvensalo, a physician at Helsinki University Central Hospital. Initially, officials suspected the explosion was caused by gas cylinders. But mall officials later said that it was unlikely that any were at the site. Police bomb squads with sniffer dogs were surveying the area, which was expected to be cordoned off for several days. "We are talking to lots of people, and we are not ruling out anything at the moment," Deputy Chief Inspector Seppo Kujala of the Vantaa police said when asked if a bomb could have caused the blast. He said no one had been detained. Kujala said they found "lots of metal debris" at the site, but would not speculate if it was part of an explosive.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
