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Fredrik Hagen / AP
A car stops on the edge of a cliff after a landslide occurred in a residential area in Ask, near Oslo.
A landslide crashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital, injuring at least 10 people, leaving 21 missing and destroying several homes, authorities said. Some 700 people were evacuated amid fears of new landslides.
Norwegian police were alerted at 4 am (local time) to the landslide in the village of Ask, in the municipality of Gjerdrum, about 20 kilometers northeast of Oslo.
Terje Bendiksby / AP
Rescue personnel arrive at the site of a landslide in a residential area in Ask, Norway.
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 that people were in collapsed buildings. He said the whereabouts of some 21 people registered to live in the area are unknown.
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“The 21 people may have evacuated themselves, but they may still be in the area of the landslide,” Pettersen told the NTB news agency.
Fredrik Hagen / AP
Norwegian police were alerted at 4 am (local time) to the landslide in the village of Ask, in the municipality of Gjerdrum, about 20 kilometers northeast of Oslo.
One of the injured was seriously injured, while nine suffered 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.
Fredrik Hagen / AP
One of the injured was seriously injured, while nine suffered minor injuries. The weather at that time was reported to be challenging, with snow and full winter conditions.
“It hurts to see how the forces of nature have devastated Gjerdrum. My thoughts go out to everyone 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.”
Uncredited / AP
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.
The area where Ask is located is known to have a large amount of so-called fast clay, a form of clay that can change from a solid to a liquid form. Previous landslides have been reported there.
