Explosion in Kvillebäcken – how daily life carries on amidst the worry

It's a strange feeling waking up in Kvillebäcken today. The sky over Hisingen is as grey as ever, the trams are running on schedule at Hjalmar Brantingsplatsen stop, yet something feels different. Last night, there was a loud bang. An explosion near a townhouse complex has left its mark, both on buildings and on people's minds. Normally, the biggest worry around here is whether you'll make it to Friskis&Svettis before the evening class, or if you can snag an appointment at Capio rehab for that niggling shoulder. But last night was about something else entirely.

Police cordoned off the area early, and forensics have been working through the morning to secure evidence. For those of us who live here, or are out and about in the neighbourhood daily, it all feels surreal. You think about the kids heading to school, people going to work at the local IGA supermarket, or hopping on the tram to town. At the same time, it's almost bizarre how quickly everyday life tries to reassert itself. Just a stone's throw from the police tape, Flexmassage Kvillebäcken on Gamla Tuvevägen has opened its doors as usual. Inside, it still smells of calming oils, and someone's waiting in the lounge with its comfy armchairs for their booked deep tissue massage. Life goes on, even when it's shaky.

Finding comfort in the everyday – from rehab to the dentist

The strange thing about an event like this is how it brings everything into sharp focus. Suddenly, those mundane things you take for granted become little markers of security. Take Folktandvården Kvillebäcken on Borstbindaregatan, for instance. I know they're open until 7 tonight, as they are Monday to Thursday. Usually, 25 people work there across nine treatment rooms, doing everything from filling cavities to trialling new digital tech in collaboration with the development clinic. For patients booked in for a check-up this afternoon, it's probably a relief to step into that bright space and focus on something as basic as a scale and clean. Right now, a root canal might feel like a smaller issue than whatever went bang last night.

It's the same with rehab and exercise. Capio rehab and Friskis&Svettis are the kind of places that are central to so many people's routines. You go there to get stronger, to recover from an injury, or just to clear your head after work. The need to look after yourself, both physically and mentally, becomes even more obvious when the world outside feels unstable. You need to work out, get sweaty, or just be looked after.

What we know now – and how we're getting on with it

Things are calm now, from what I gather. The police are investigating, and those of us here have to trust they're doing their job. What's important to remember is that Kvillebäcken is so much more than the headlines from one single night. This area is full of people going to work, keeping appointments, and looking out for each other.

Here are a few of the local spots that just keep ticking over, no matter what:

• Friskis&Svettis: For anyone who needs to run off the anxiety or lift some weights to clear their head for a bit.
• Flexmassage Kvillebäcken: Ideal if you're carrying tension in your shoulders and neck after a restless night. They always ask "How are you feeling?" when you arrive – a question that probably carries a bit more weight today.
• Folktandvården: A reminder that we keep looking after our health, even when things get tough.
• Capio rehab: For everyone in the middle of recovery who needs to keep moving forward, regardless.

It's easy to focus on the bang itself, the explosion and the police work. That's the news, the drama. But for those of us who actually are here, who have Kvillebäcken as part of our everyday, it's something else that sticks with you. It's the contrast. Knowing that just a few hundred metres from a crime scene, someone is sitting in an armchair getting a massage, someone else is on a rowing machine at the gym, and a third person is in the dentist's waiting room flipping through a magazine. That's the quiet, everyday strength that means a community like this bounces back.