Two young women were killed in a severe multi-vehicle collision on Route 83 in Bollnäs municipality, Hälsingland, on Saturday evening. The accident occurred around 10:30 PM when two vehicles collided head-on at high speed, followed by a third vehicle crashing into the wreckage seconds later. One of the vehicles caught fire following the impact, complicating rescue efforts at the scene.

Police confirmed that two women, aged 20 and 25, died from their injuries overnight. Their next of kin have been notified. According to Region Gävleborg's patient injury report, six additional people were injured in the crash, including two men with serious injuries and three men with minor injuries. All individuals involved were between 20 and 40 years old and were residents of Hälsingland.

Authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the fatal accident. Police have seized the vehicles for technical examination and are interviewing witnesses. The accident scene was documented using drones to analyze skid marks and other evidence. Police press spokesperson Magnus Jansson Klarin told TT news agency that the exact cause of the collision remains unclear, though local reports indicated heavy fog at the location at the time of the incident.

The highway section was closed for several hours during rescue operations. Bollnäs municipality has activated its crisis support services, and the local parish hall remains open for relatives and others needing support following the tragedy. The community response reflects the local impact of an accident that has left multiple families grieving and several individuals hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.

Finnair is gradually restoring its Airbus A321 fleet to service after an uncertified cleaning procedure forced the grounding of eight aircraft. The airline confirmed that seat covers were washed with water, a method not properly certified to ensure fire protection standards were maintained. This safety concern prompted the removal of the affected aircraft from service, leading to operational disruptions across Finnair's European network.

The situation began improving over the weekend as Finnair started installing new seat covers on the grounded aircraft. The first A321 returned to service on Sunday, operating a flight from Helsinki to Rhodes. However, seven aircraft remain out of service with no confirmed timeline for their full return. The A321s typically seat approximately 200 passengers and are crucial for Finnair's European route operations.

The grounding has resulted in significant passenger disruptions, with Finnair implementing extensive rebooking procedures. On Sunday alone, approximately 460 passengers were moved to different flights due to aircraft downgrades. The airline has prioritized high-frequency routes such as Helsinki-Stockholm and Helsinki-London, ensuring alternative options are available. In some cases, Finnair has used smaller replacement aircraft and offered incentives for volunteers to switch flights.

To manage the capacity shortfall, Finnair has wet-leased two aircraft with crews from Danish carrier DAT since Wednesday. While flight cancellations have decreased to single digits in recent days, with some days passing without any cancellations, the airline acknowledges that irregularities may continue through the coming week. Finnair is providing accommodation and compensation to affected passengers in accordance with EU air passenger rights regulations as it works to fully resolve the operational challenges.