Nine injured, some 200 evacuated after landslide in Norway

December 30, 2020

HELSINKI (AP) — A landslide smashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital Wednesday, injuring nine people and destroying several homes, authorities said. Some 200 people have been evacuated amid fears of further landslides.

Norwegian police were alerted at 4 a.m. to the slip in the village of Ask, in the municipality of Gjerdrum, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Oslo. Photos taken in the area showed at least eight homes destroyed. Some 40 ambulances were sent to the scene and evacuation was continuing as officials said there was a risk of further landslides.

Police spokesman Roger Pettersen told the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that there were no reports of missing, but officials could not rule out that there were people in collapsed buildings. “Clearing work is being done,” he said.

None of the injured was reported to be seriously hurt. “It hurts to see how the forces of nature have ravaged Gjerdrum. My thoughts go to all those affected by the landslide. Now it is important that the emergency services get their job done,” Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg tweeted.

The area where Ask is located is known for having a lot of so-called quick clay, a form of clay that can change from solid to liquid form. There have been previous landslides reported in the area.