Cabin fire in Nordland – – Many are heavily affected

ANDØY / OSLO (Dagbladet): – It has been a tough and difficult day, Svolvær school principal Ronnie Maas Pedersen tells Dagbladet.

Tragic news came Saturday morning that five people are missing following a fire in a cabin in Nordland’s Andøy municipality.

Four of them are children under the age of 16 and two are students at the Svolvær school.

On Saturday, the Svolvær school opened its doors for those who wanted a place to go.

– Strongly affected

“We established crisis staff this morning and had a school open from 12 noon to 3 pm. There we were equipped to receive both students and parents,” Maas Pedersen tells Dagbladet.

– We wanted to give the opportunity for those who wanted to talk about what was painful and difficult. We had help from both the pastor and the crisis team, as well as us from the school.

Five people were missing

He says that many are very affected by the tragic accident, also among the school employees.

– Everyone knows someone who is affected by this, be it other students, family or friends.

During the hours the school was open, Maas Pedersen estimates that about 40 people passed. After the school closed at 15, the Svolvær church opened its doors, says the principal.

Here it has also been possible with conversations and lighting candles.

Looking into the ruins

During the afternoon, both local forensic technicians and staff from the identification group at Kriops arrived at the burning hut plot in Andøy.

Task leader Jørn Karlsen stated that they have started the work of finding the five missing and that Kripos will work at the scene during the night.

– We assume that the five missing are in the ruins of the fire, said Karlsen.

The police have requested and received assistance from Kripos in the investigation.

Today it was announced that work on the fire site will begin as soon as it has cooled down sufficiently.

– Terrible phone

– It was a terrible phone call this morning, that five of our residents were missing, and it has not improved when you meet people, said Mayor Frank Johnsen (Sp) to Dagbladet this afternoon.

– It is a relatively small community and the people are very affected. We have received many statements of support both from other municipalities and from the bishop both in Sør- and Nord-Hålogaland. It helps, but we have a long way to go to rebuild the people who have been closest to these people.

On Sunday morning, the school management in Svolvær will meet again before later meeting with crisis management.

I had to jump into what he slept on

Among other things, they will coordinate plans with Henningsvær school, which is the other school affected by the accident, so that everyone gets the same information and follow-up, Maas Pedersen informs Dagbladet.

– Traumatic experience

Police fear that the Risøyhamn fire in Andøy municipality has claimed five lives.

The man who managed to escape had to run several kilometers to be notified of the fire, since there is no mobile phone coverage in the area.

According to the Dagbladet reporter, known locally in the area, the hut was located in a remote area not far from Bjørnskinnsfjellet. Today the weather has been characterized by sleet and rain and the temperature has exceeded 0 degrees.

– He had to run into what he was sleeping, Task Chief Jørn Karlsen in the Nordland Police District explained to Dagbladet.

He was taken to Stokkmarknes hospital but is not physically in any critical condition, according to police.

– You have been exposed to a violently traumatic experience, Karlsen said.