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Norway Landslide Injures 10 and Leaves 15 Missing

The New York Times
Oslo, NorwayWritten By: Henrik Pryser Libell © 2020 The New York Times CompanyUpdated: Dec 30, 2020, 11:20 PM IST
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This December 30, 2020 image released by the Norwegian Rescue Service (HRS, 330 Skvadronen) taken from a rescue helicopter shows destroyed houses in a crater left behind by a landslide in the town of Ask, Gjerdrum county, some 40 km northeast of the capital Oslo. Several houses were taken by a landslide in the early hours of December 30, several injured were taken to hospital for treatment and yet more people are listed as missing as the rescue mission continues. Photograph:(AFP)

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At least six people in the village of Ask were hospitalized and up to 200 were evacuated, the mayor said, according to Verdens Gang, a Norwegian newspaper. Rescuers were limited in how close they could get to the scene because the slide was ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon

A landslide in a village about 30 miles northeast of Oslo, Norway, injured at least 10 people and left 15 missing Wednesday, according to local news media.

At least six people in the village of Ask were hospitalized and up to 200 were evacuated, the mayor said, according to Verdens Gang, a Norwegian newspaper. Rescuers were limited in how close they could get to the scene because the slide was ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon.

The landslide destroyed several homes, according to local police.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, who was at the scene, said on Twitter Wednesday, “It hurts to see how the forces of nature have ravaged Gjerdrum,” the area that includes Ask. “My thoughts go to all those affected by the landslide. Now it is important that the emergency services get their job done.”

Norway’s military was assisting with the rescue operation, according to Dagbladet, a newspaper in Norway. Norwegian People’s Aid, a humanitarian organization, said it had sent nine ambulances and 40 crew members to assist with the operation.

Geir Fjellheim, the manager of Quality Hotel Olavsgaard, said about 300 people who had been evacuated from Ask were staying at the hotel. He said he had been told by police not to provide further details.

Landslides in Norway are relatively rare, but in June, a landslide in the northern part of the country swept at least eight buildings into the sea, causing significant damage but no injuries.