Bodies of four old men were recovered dead from a hole in the ice in a frozen lake in Sweden, police said on Friday morning.

The men, aged between 65 and 75, could not be saved in spite of attempts to resuscitate them, police added.

The circumstances of their death were initially unclear, although there were no indications that a crime had taken place, a police spokesperson told Aftonbladet newspaper.

It remains unclear why the men were on the ice.

The authorities were alerted to an emergency on a lake near Savsjo, 200km east of Gothenburg, on Thursday evening, the police said.

Three adults and a child fell through the ice on a lake near Ekero, not far from Stockholm, and were taken to hospital. All were conscious before going to hospital, TT news agency reported.

Many of Sweden’s lakes have frozen due to cold weather in the past few weeks.

However, temperatures have risen significantly, especially in southern Sweden, leading to thinning of the ice and increasing the risk of accidents. (NAN)