Firefighters in Rjukan, Telemark County, battled thrugh the night to extinguish another fire at an asylum center. There were no deaths or injuries, but the local mayor called the fire “a tragedy” nonetheless.
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that the fire ravaged an historic building from 1916 that was on UNESCO’s list of buildings worthy of preservation. The building known as Mandheimen, originally constructed to house single men working for industrial firm Norsk Hydro, was due to undergo a full renovation in January.
In the meantime it was being used to house asylum seekers waiting for resettlement in Norway. A total of 46 people at Mandheimen plus 24 people living in neighbouring buildings, many of them historic wooden houses, were evacuated after the fire broke out around 10pm Friday night.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and was under investigation.
newsinenglish.no staff
