At least four people died and over 20 were hospitalized after a explosion outside a Finnish suburban shopping center today, rescue officials said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion. A fire service official said it could have been due to gas cylinders exploding, but a police official said a bomb could not be ruled out.
"We are not sure what caused the explosion, it might have been gas bottles," Mr Marrko Virtainen, deputy fire chief of Vantaa City, said.
"We have no exact details yet, it could be a gas explosion or abomb," Ilkka Alanko, senior constable with the Vantaa Police, said.
The fire service official said the explosion occurred just before 8 p.m. outside a store for building materials.
"So far, we know that at least four people have been killed and over 20 hospitalized," he said. He added that bomb-sniffing dogs were currently at the scene assisting investigators.
The City of Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, is home to the Nordic capital's airport and many large shopping centers.
AFP