Sinkhole swallows houses, 21 people missing in Norwegian village landslide

A landslide crashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital, injuring at least 10 people, leaving 21 missing and destroying several homes.

Some 700 people have been evacuated amid fears of new landslides.

Norwegian police were alerted at 4 am Wednesday (local time) about the landslide in the town of Ask, in the municipality of Gjerdrum, about 20 kilometers northeast of Oslo.

The landslide cut across a road through Ask, leaving a deep ravine that cars could not pass. Video footage showed dramatic scenes, including a house falling into the ravine. The photos showed at least eight houses destroyed.

Police spokesman Roger Pettersen told Norwegian media that there were no reports of missing persons, but authorities could not rule out the possibility of people in collapsed buildings. He said the whereabouts of some 21 people registered to live in the area are unknown.

“The 21 people may have evacuated themselves, but they may still be in the area of ​​the landslide,” Pettersen told NTB news agency.

One of the wounded was seriously injured, while nine had minor injuries. The weather at that time was reported to be challenging, with snow and full winter conditions.

Ask is home to about 5,000 people.

“It pains me to see how the forces of nature have devastated Gjerdrum. My thoughts go out to all those affected by the landslide. It is now important that the emergency services do their job,” Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg tweeted.

In a separate statement, he called the disaster “probably one of the largest landslides we have ever had and with the greatest consequences.”

The area where Ask is located is known to have a large amount of so-called fast clay, which can change from a solid to a liquid form. Previous landslides have been reported there.