A landslide in southern Norway left 11 people missing, leaving large pits


The landslide struck a residential area in the municipality of Girdrum, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of the capital Oslo. More than 900 people have been evacuated from the area, police said.

Police continued to search the area, with rescue workers suspected of being trapped in glass and debris for children and adults, police said.

“We’re pretty sure there are people in the affected area, but we don’t know if there are all 11 or if the number is low,” police spokesman Roger Patterson told a news conference.

“We are still searching for survivors,” he said.

Photos of the site showed a large crater with destroyed buildings at its bottom. Other buildings hung on the edge of the pit, TV footage showed. Two more houses collapsed into a ditch on Wednesday afternoon, broadcaster NRK reported.

Norway’s King Herald said the landslide had left an impression on him.

“My thoughts are with all those who have been affected, injured or lost their homes and who are now living in fear and uncertainty of the full extent of the catastrophe,” the 83-year-old king said in a statement. Said the palace.

Helicopters flew over the area as night fell, and at times reduced emergency response to the rubble of collapsed buildings.

“People may be trapped there … but at the same time we can’t be sure because it’s the New Year’s holiday, which means people may be somewhere else,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg told reporters after visiting the site.

The rescue helicopter scene shows the result of the incident.

Local residents spoke of their experience.

“There were two big shocks that lasted a long time and I guess it was clearing snow or something like that,” Austin Gajerdrum, 68, told NRK.

“Then suddenly the power went out, and a neighbor came to the door and said we need to evacuate, so I picked up my three grandchildren and told them to get dressed quickly.”

“Earth’s mass, which is becoming one of the largest earthen slides in recent Norwegian history, is still moving forward,” Torrell Hofshegen, regional head of the Norwegian Region Water Resources and Energy Region, told a news conference.

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