Search for landslide survivors in Norway

The police have not yet located all the people in the area affected by the avalanche. A total of 12 people have yet to be reported, including children, Norwegian TV2 reports.

– We remain open to the possibility that these are people who have evacuated themselves or who have not reported to the police, but who may also be in the area of ​​the landslide, says task leader Roger Pettersen .

The search and rescue operation continues despite the darkness. Police are hopeful and say they are looking for survivors, not dead. At least fourteen homes are located in the most affected area. Police believe there may be people there, but the rescue force can only access the area from the air.

“Desperate people”

Several houses are located in a large crater caused by the landslide, and some are next to the crater rim. According to Pettersen, the landslide is still in motion and three evacuated houses collapsed during the day. It can happen with several other houses, he says.

– We have received messages from desperate people who called the police emergency number and said the whole house is in motion and that they are under shingles and insulation, Petterson told the NTB news agency in the morning.

Sweden sends aid

The Swedish Civil Protection and Emergency Planning Agency (MSB) sent a search and rescue force to the disaster site to assist with rescue efforts, the Justice Ministry said in a press release.

– We have sent a national resource that is under the MSB, which is called Nusar. This means specially trained search and rescue personnel in the event of a cave-in and landslide, Stefan Karlsson, operations manager for the Greater Gothenburg rescue service, tells Aftonbladet.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg says she is impressed by the rescue effort and how quickly it got underway. What worries him are the people in the area who have not yet been located.

– I agree with the police that this is a disaster. It’s probably one of the biggest landslides we’ve ever had and with the biggest consequences, Solberg tells NTB.

The Geotechnical Institute of Norway has sent experts to the site. Both the National Guard and Civil Defense have been summoned to the area and geologists from the Norwegian Water and Power Authority (NVE) will assess when it is safe to enter the area during the landslide.