Stockholm, Sweden— A fatal arson attack on an apartment complex in the Husby district of Stockholm at 2:08 a.m. on October 30, 2026 killed three residents and injured nine, gutting a three-story building and forcing evacuation of two adjacent blocks.
The fire started in the stairwell of a 24-unit building on Trondheimsgatan. Residents said they heard a loud bang, then saw flames blocking the main exit. Some jumped from balconies. Others were trapped on upper floors as smoke filled the corridor within minutes.
Firefighters arrived in seven minutes but could not enter the stairwell due to intense heat. They used ladders to rescue residents from windows. The building’s wooden interior, built in the 1970s, burned rapidly. Part of the roof collapsed at 3:15 a.m.
“We smelled gasoline. It was not a normal fire,” said resident Aisha Mohamed, who escaped with her two children from the second floor. “The stairs were on fire. We could not go down.”
SVT News reported police found traces of accelerant and a broken jerrycan at the entrance. Security cameras showed a masked figure entering the stairwell at 2:06 a.m. and leaving 90 seconds later. The figure ran toward the metro station.
Stockholm police confirmed three dead, including a 68-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy who were found in their apartments. Nine were taken to Karolinska Hospital, two in critical condition. About 60 residents are now housed in a nearby school gym.
“This is classified as aggravated arson and murder,” said Stockholm police spokesperson Mats Eriksson. “We have a clear indication the fire was intentionally set to trap residents inside.”
Arson attacks linked to gang conflicts and personal disputes have risen in Sweden, with stairwell fires a recurring tactic to target rivals or extort housing associations. Husby has seen three similar fires this year.
Tonight the building is sealed and structurally unstable. Forensic technicians are collecting samples for lab analysis. Police have appealed for witnesses who saw a person with a fuel container near the building shortly before the fire.
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