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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/14/five-british-men-die-in-car-crash-in-stockholm-sweden
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| Viola Beach members and manager die in car crash in Sweden | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Five British men believed to be the members and manager of Warrington-based indie band Viola Beach have died in a car crash in Sweden. | |
| The men, aged between 19 and 35, died when their car smashed into a road barrier and plunged more than 80ft off a bridge into a canal in the capital, Stockholm. | The men, aged between 19 and 35, died when their car smashed into a road barrier and plunged more than 80ft off a bridge into a canal in the capital, Stockholm. |
| Police spokeswoman Eva Nilsson said on Saturday that divers had recovered the bodies of five men. Tributes quickly flooded in on social media to the Cheshire band and their manager. | |
| The cause of the accident on the E4 highway in Stockholm’s Södertälje district was not known. Swedish media said that at the time of the pre-dawn accident, the bridge over the Södertälje canal was closing after it had been opened to let a vessel sail through. Its warning lamps were flashing and two barriers were blocking the road. | The cause of the accident on the E4 highway in Stockholm’s Södertälje district was not known. Swedish media said that at the time of the pre-dawn accident, the bridge over the Södertälje canal was closing after it had been opened to let a vessel sail through. Its warning lamps were flashing and two barriers were blocking the road. |
| The bridge, at the Saltskogs junction between the E4 and the E20 motorways, has a middle section that rises directly upwards without tilting, leaving a gap that the car drove into. | |
| Stockholm police spokesman Inspector Martin Bergholm said: “For some reason, the car drove through the barriers and crashed down into the canal.” | |
| Drivers of other cars were waiting behind the barrier but it is not yet known whether a boat had already passed or was waiting to pass. He added: “The witnesses just saw a car beside them and kind of disappear.” | |
| Bergholm said it was not yet known whether the five men were wearing seatbelts but added: “That would not have helped them.” Police received a call at about 2.30am and were first to arrive on the scene, a “maximum five minutes” later. | |
| Bergholm added: “Police arrived first, then the fire brigade who came with fire brigade divers at the scene and found the car and three bodies. We didn’t know how many people there were in the car but we found out there were five.” | |
| The men were all identified using the passports they had on them and Swedish police are working with the Foreign Office global response centre. He said the case would be transferred to a specialist traffic incident team on Monday. Dates for the postmortem examination have not yet been confirmed. | |
| Viola Beach were playing at Sweden’s Where’s the Music? festival on Friday, and had dozens of upcoming live shows planned, including one at Warrington’s the Pyramid on 12 March. The band were due to play at the Boiler Room in Guildford. | |
| The up-and-coming band previously toured with the Courteeners and worked with Communion Records founder and Mumford and Sons producer Ian Grimble. | The up-and-coming band previously toured with the Courteeners and worked with Communion Records founder and Mumford and Sons producer Ian Grimble. |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that five British nationals died in a car accident in Sweden on 13 February. We are in contact with local authorities and supporting the families at this difficult time.” | A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that five British nationals died in a car accident in Sweden on 13 February. We are in contact with local authorities and supporting the families at this difficult time.” |
| British band the Enemy tweeted: “RIP Viola Beach and their manager. Such incredibly tragic and sad news. Thought with the friends and families of all involved x.” Others added: | |
| Very sad news about the guys from Viola Beach - Bright young Warrington band, looked like they were going to go big. RIP lads x | Very sad news about the guys from Viola Beach - Bright young Warrington band, looked like they were going to go big. RIP lads x |
| Thoughts go out to Viola Beach and their manager's families. Terrible news. A rising success and a great new band, they will be missed x | Thoughts go out to Viola Beach and their manager's families. Terrible news. A rising success and a great new band, they will be missed x |
| I am so so devastated to hear about viola beach and their manager, such a talented band that I loved so much, RIP:( | I am so so devastated to hear about viola beach and their manager, such a talented band that I loved so much, RIP:( |
| Desperately sad news about Viola Beach. Talented musicians and their friends only spoke highly of them. Major loss for Warrington. RIP. | Desperately sad news about Viola Beach. Talented musicians and their friends only spoke highly of them. Major loss for Warrington. RIP. |
| Just heard horrendous news about @Viola_Beach. Fellow Warrington lads, they rehearsed next door to us. Our thoughts are with their families | Just heard horrendous news about @Viola_Beach. Fellow Warrington lads, they rehearsed next door to us. Our thoughts are with their families |