Swedish airport evacuated

A regional airport in central Sweden has been evacuated after an airline employee reported that a suspected suicide bomber had been spotted.

The airport in Karlstad was evacuated at 1.40pm (12.40pm Irish time), after a Scandinavian Airlines employee reported that “a possible suicide candidate” had been spotted at the airport, said police spokeswoman Yvonne Carlsten.

Erik Soderberg, a spokesman for the Swedish civil aviation authority told Swedish news agency TT that someone had left a bomb at the airport. He said someone called with a bomb threat at 12.47pm (11.47am Irish time).

Carlsten said police and airport officials immediately evacuated the airport, but no arrests had been made.

Carlsten said the SAS employee had seen a suspicious person walking through the airport, but that it was unclear why the individual was believed to be a suicide bomber.

“We are viewing the situation as very serious,” Carlsten said.

The airport, which opened in 1997, has flights to Scandinavian cities. About 100 people work at the airport.