Recently, Tomas Hansson took over as CEO of Coop Norrbotten. On Tuesday, he was in Arvidsjaur to attend to the approximately 30 employees working in the store. "It's obviously a very tragic event".
The cause of the fire, which originated on the store's roof, remains unknown at this time.
– Future investigations will be necessary to determine that, Hansson explained:
– But our portion of the building is completely destroyed.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries related to the incident.
– We're grateful that our evacuation and fire safety procedures proved effective, resulting in no injuries among our staff or tenants. Everyone escaped unharmed.
The fire started on the roof of Coop.
By Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m., company management had just concluded a meeting with staff at Hotel Laponia. Coop Norrbotten has also activated its crisis management team.
At around 16:45, the structure supporting the entrance could no longer withstand the flames and collapsed.
– The mood is understandably somber, a mixture of shock and sadness, described Hansson, referring to the staff's reactions to the fire.
– This store is vital to the community, and it's also been a workplace for many people for as long as 30 years. It represents much more than just a store, he concluded.
A view of the devastation from above.
Many residents of Arvidsjaur gathered at the scene of the fire. The police cordoned off a large area in the town center, and traffic was diverted.