The rescue service has received a number of alarms after heavy rain during the night towards Sunday. Two trains have derailed outside Örnsköldsvik, one carrying timber and a freight train loaded with lithium and ammunition.
The rescue service will make an assessment of the hazardous cargo. Then we need to get a clearance permit, and only then can we see the extent of the damage to the tracks, says Jonsson.
He estimates that it may take several weeks before traffic is up and running again.
We also do not know at present whether the Accident Commission will be involved. If so, we cannot do anything until they are finished. All passenger traffic will be affected. It will take a long time, several weeks.
500 sleepers destroyed
The area around the freight train that carried timber, Jonsson describes as a "puzzle".
Three contact line poles are knocked down and 500 sleepers are damaged, it's an enormous amount, says Jonsson.
In addition to the derailments, several roads have also been washed away, and in Härnösand municipality, a person has been taken to hospital after driving into a hole in the road.
The Swedish Transport Administration has listed about 40 roads that are destroyed or closed.
A VMA, important message to the public, was issued in the morning in several municipalities. It was withdrawn in the afternoon, but people are urged to be cautious if they venture out into traffic.
Minister for Infrastructure Andreas Carlson (KD) writes in a comment to TT that "The Government Offices are following the developments and are in contact with the Swedish Transport Administration and the responsible authorities".
Between Örnsköldsvik and Härnösand, the flooding has caused a train stop. The stop affects departures between Stockholm and Umeå/Luleå, and there is no forecast according to SJ for when traffic can return to normal. Several departures with Norrtåg's traffic between Umeå and Sundsvall are also cancelled due to flooded tracks.
The storm continues
The Agency for Community Protection and Preparedness is awaiting a request for extra resources from the municipalities, but has not been called in so far.
The rainstorm continues on Sunday and SMHI has issued a yellow warning for rain-like showers and heavy showers with thunder in the eastern part of northern Norrland.
It can come up to 70-80 millimeters and much of it can come in a shorter time, which can lead to flooding, says Henrik Reimer, meteorologist at SMHI.
There is also a warning for high flows in streams and rivers, which affects roads and viaducts. The warning applies to most of Västernorrland County until lunchtime on Monday.
