Last Friday, an incident at the headquarters of Sweden’s security service (Sapo) in Stockholm led to the detection of phosgene, a poisonous gas, as per official documents referenced by the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. This discovery contradicts earlier assertions from Sapo, which claimed no gas was found either inside or outside its building.
The incident prompted the evacuation of around 500 workers and resulted in eight individuals being sent to the hospital. Phosgene, historically used in chemical warfare during World War I and currently in the production of plastics and pesticides, was identified by emergency services sensors mounted on the building’s roof, recording a concentration of 0.6 parts per million (ppm). According to county official Lena Maria Fritzberg, the levels of phosgene decreased over time until they reached zero.
Despite these reports, Sapo maintains its initial position that no gas was detected, leaving unanswered questions regarding the discrepancy with the county’s findings. Intelligence expert Joakim von Braun suggested that a sensor malfunction could be a plausible explanation for the recorded presence of phosgene, deeming the idea of a deliberate release of the gas as highly unlikely.
All individuals hospitalized following the incident have since been discharged, and the emergency response was concluded later that day. This event occurred amidst Sweden’s efforts to join the NATO alliance, a move that has drawn attention and potential repercussions from Russia.
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