A chemical leak at a laboratory in Stockholm was reported, while police have evacuated the area.

According to local media, there is a risk of an explosion and several people have been hospitalized after experiencing symptoms of gas poisoning.

At least 500 people were evacuated from a building near the Karolinska Institute, one of the largest and most prestigious medical universities in the world, located within the Stockholm urban area.

The Royal Institute of Technology and several private companies were also affected, according to information provided by Aftonbladet newspaper.

The chemical leak reportedly started on the seventh floor of the building in a laboratory area near the institute, as RT reports.