A man in his 50s had to have his arm amputated at the elbow, after explosives he was loading into a canon for a traditional 17th of May salute last Friday went off during the loading process.
Canons placed at historic sites around the country are still used for 21-gun salutes on national holidays and royal birthdays, and especially on the Constitution Day holiday on the 17th of May. In this case, the man was a volunteer for a local civic booster association that was loading the canon at Høytorp in Mysen, southeast of Oslo. Høytorp ranks as Norway’s largest inland fortress, and was built between 1912 and 1918.
The victim’s assistant, in his 20s, was also injured in the blast, but not seriously. The man was airlifted to Ullevål University Hospital in Oslo, where doctors had no choice but to amputate the lower portion of his arm and hand.
newsinenglish.no staff
