Two weeks after a deadly landslide swallowed homes in a small town northeast of Oslo, efforts were resuming this week to find the last three victims still missing and presumed dead. Survivors have been moving back to undamaged homes, some reluctantly, while both state and local officials promise ongoing support. “You are not alone,” the […]
Hopes ran out for finding survivors
January 5, 2021
A remarkable search and rescue effort mounted by the Norwegian police, military, geologists, health care workers and other experts “entered a new phase” Tuesday evening. Police gave up hopes of finding more survivors in last week’s catastrophic landslide in Gjerdrum, after yet another slide hit the area. “We have done all we can to save […]
New Year speeches help unify, console
January 5, 2021
NEWS ANALYSIS: Norway’s monarch isn’t the only one holding a traditional New Year speech aimed at boosting national pride and unity. The prime minister and president of the Sami Parliament do so as well, and this year their addresses were more important than ever. King Harald V has already won kudos for his direct and […]
Royals meet slide survivors in grief
January 3, 2021
UPDATED: Norway’s King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon all traveled to Gjerdrum on Sunday, to meet with survivors of last week’s devastating landslide as reports of fatalities were streaming in. Search and rescue crews had kept working to find more survivors, but hopes were fading Sunday evening. “We have an extremely emotional […]
King offers hope and some consolation
January 1, 2021
It was probably one of the most direct and news-related royal holiday addresses ever: King Harald V used his annual speech to the nation on New Year’s Eve to console and support Norwegians after the country’s worst year since the Nazi German occupation during World War II. The monarch wasted no time in addressing the […]
Police confirm the first slide fatality
January 1, 2021
Emergency crews have found the first victim of this week’s catastrophic landslide at Gjerdrum, north of Oslo, after search and rescue operations continued through the night and on New Year’s Day. Police confirmed the fatality late Friday afternoon, while still insisting that they continue to have “full focus” on finding survivors. Police wouldn’t immediately reveal […]
Hydrologist warned of unstable ground
December 31, 2020
As more homes and buildings were lost on Thursday in a “catastrophic” landslide northeast of Oslo, questions were flying over why homebuilders were allowed to develop residential communities on kvikkleire. That’s the clay-like ground that suddenly gave way before dawn on Wednesday, and a hydrologist claims he warned local officials if its potential instability as early […]
‘Catastrophe’ ends already awful year
December 30, 2020
UPDATED: Around 1,500 people have had to be evacuated, nearly a dozen were injured and more are missing after a severe landslide devastated a neighbourhood in Gjerdrum, just north of Oslo on Wednesday. Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who arrived on the scene as emergency operations continued, declared it all a “catastrophe,” as a difficult year […]
Rare sunshine turned to slippery snow
December 26, 2020
After weeks of rain throughout most of December, the sun finally came out on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in much of Southern Norway. It all turned into heavy snow and more rain on Saturday, though, making roads and highways hazardous. Police all over Østlandet and in the mountain regions were issuing warnings Saturday […]
Fire hit Equinor gas plant
December 3, 2020
State oil company Equinor has been hit by yet another accident, this time at a gas plant in Møre og Romsdal where fire broke out Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters feared an explosion but managed to put the fire within an hour. Around 30 workers were evacuated after the fire reportedly started in a compressor building at […]
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