Dog and Dog Handler Get Up and Down in Landslide Area – VG

During the night, Sea King helicopters and drones also flew over the crash site in search of missing persons. The weather has made the search difficult, but the team has stuck.

Since 5 p.m. last night, a Sea King dog, dog handler and rescuer have been hoisted up and down around the crash site to assess whether it is appropriate to descend and search.

– In some places they have considered that it is not appropriate, in other places they have gone down and made some simple searches around buildings. To no avail, COO Karianne Knudsen tells VG.

The number of missing fell to 10 people late Wednesday after several reported they had not been in the area.

During the night, listening and observation posts have also been set up. But darkness and precipitation make exploration difficult.

– Unfortunately it has been demanding conditions as it has been all the way. It was dark and difficult lighting, according to patrol at the scene, Knudsen says.

The hope is that the search conditions will be better on Thursday morning when the power returns. Then the geologists will also come to the site and assess whether it is safe to enter and begin a search of the ground.

– There have been no new landslides since the last update at 11pm last night, but you go around a bit and expect more landslides there, says the operations manager.

Helicopter rescued dog

So far, a total of 31 housing units, out of a total of nine buildings, have been lost in the landslide, in addition to six garage houses with five parking spaces each. Therefore, many were left homeless after the natural disaster, and more are still expected.

However, good news came overnight. The Zajka family dog, a Dalmatian, recovered after being captured by the drones’ heat search camera.

The Sandman family told NRK that they had been told that people should be given priority and that the ten-year-old dog was not allowed to be in the helicopter.

The news that the dog was rescued by helicopter was gratifying for the family, who lost everything they owned in the Wednesday morning landslide.

– Of course, it was absolutely fantastic to receive that message tonight. We have been very nervous and we seemed to be hoping for a miracle to happen. Luck has been with us today, even though we lost everything we own in the landslide, Anna Sandman wrote in a text message to Dagbladet Thursday night.

Carry on in full force

It was previously reported that children were among those missing after the landslide, but this was before the number of missing was reduced. The police will neither confirm nor deny whether there are children among the missing now.

Search activity picks up a bit when it gets brighter again on the twig in the morning.

– We will continue immediately, but there will be a little more activity when the lights go out. But we have continued with all our strength and the activity is also handled at night, given the weather and light conditions, says Knudsen.

She says there is still hope of finding them alive, if people were carried away by the landslide. In the past, the police have stated that they believe with considerable certainty that there are people in the area of ​​the landslide.

– We continue working on the hypothesis that we can find living people. If anyone is there, there is still hope, says the operations manager.

Police announce that they will issue a new press release between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

1000 evacuees

Approximately 1,000 people have been evacuated from the area. The plan is to evacuate 1,500.

On Wednesday night, it was confirmed that ten people were injured, one of whom is seriously injured. Five people are hospitalized and five have been sent to the emergency room. No new injuries were reported Thursday night.

It is not yet possible for police or rescue teams to enter the area of ​​the landslide, which is estimated to be around 300 times 700 meters.

In its last update that evening, NVE announced that the landslide is still ongoing and that there is a danger of more houses collapsing.

The Olavsgaard hotel in Skedsmo is used as an evacuation center. Evacuated people who have nowhere to go are transported here.

All available resources are put into the mission. The police receive assistance from the municipality, the defense and voluntary organizations.