The most serious traffic accident took place in Parkano near Tampere, where two young people died in a crash between a microcar and an ambulance on Saturday. The ambulance driver was injured.  

The accident occurred around half one in the afternoon at the intersection of Mustanjärventie and Vaasantie on Highway 3.

Deadly traffic accidents also took place in Juankoski, Hanko and Ulvila.

Parkano was also the scene of a fire in a three-story apartment block, which claimed the life of one man on the night of Midsummer Eve.

Early Sunday morning a young woman was killed in an apartment fire in Helsinki.

Eight drown

At least eight people drowned over the Midsummer weekend.

A woman who had gone missing earlier on Sunday was found drowned in the River Tornio.

A man in his late 40s was found drowned in Hämeenlinna on Sunday morning. He had fallen from a boat the previous evening.

A man in his late 70s drowned in Salla’s Pyhäjärvi Lake on Saturday evening, after going for a swim from a sauna.

Saturday afternoon a 30-year-old man drowned in Äänekoski in central Finland.

Three more drowning cases were reported in Saarijärvi, Rautalampi Parainen, and Kokkola.

Last Midsummer only two cases of drowning were reported.

Busy weekend for rescue officials

Sea rescuers were kept busy by boat engine malfunctions and vessels run aground by people under the influence of alcohol. The Finnish Border Guard reported 76 rescue operations over the Midsummer weekend.

In Hammarland in the Åland islands, a party of four were rescued from the water after a voyage in a small motorboat ran into trouble. All four were taken to hospital. The condition of one of the rescued was critical. The police suspect that alcohol played a part in the event.

Most of the work of rescue officials dealt with the consequences of heavy drinking.

It was also a busy midsummer weekend for the police.

For example, police in south eastern Finland had to deal with 120 calls between Midsummer Eve and Saturday morning. Most of their work was dealing with rowdy behaviour and drunkenness.

This midsummer also saw a lot of drunk driving. Police apprehended nearly 400 motorists of drunken driving during the festive days.