UPDATE 1 – Device explodes near Stockholm subway station, killing 1

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By BNO NEWS

One person has died and another has been injured after a device exploded near a subway station in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, local officials say. A murder investigation is underway but there is no known link to terrorism.

The incident happened at about 11:07 a.m. local time on Sunday when emergency services were called to Vårby Gård, which is a relatively small metro station about 12 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of the city’s downtown area.

“According to preliminary information, the injured man had picked up an object from the ground, which then exploded and caused serious injuries,” police spokesman Sven-Erik Olsson said. The victim, a man in his 60s, later succumbed to his injuries.

A second person, identified by local media as a 45-year-old woman, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Two bicycles and a backpack were seen on the ground at the site of Sunday’s explosion, which shook the surrounding area. “I just got to the platform when I heard a loud bang,” an employee of railway operator MTR Express told Expressen TV.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said the explosion is believed to have been caused by a hand grenade, though police would not confirm that.

Olsson said there was no immediate indication of a link to terrorism but added that a murder investigation was underway and, as of late Sunday afternoon, no suspects had been identified. The spokesman added that the explosion did not appear to have targeted the man or woman specifically.

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