Large landslide in Norway

During the night of December 29th, a mudslide occurred in Ask, a small Norwegian town 25 kilometers northeast of the capital, Oslo. An entire hillside collapsed, which resulted in around 30 homes falling into the depression caused by the landslide. Some houses were covered by the mudslide, some were left dangling on the edge, prone to fall after the event. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate attribute the mudslide to quick clay; a type of clay found in Sweden and Norway which can become unstable and turn to a fluid when overstressed.

The landslide affected a 300 by 800 meter surface and prime Minister Erna Solberg, who visited the village, said it was one of the largest landslides the country has witnessed. Conditions made rescue difficult, with cold weather and the inability to stand and move on the wet clay. The rescue party, including a Swedish specialist team, used orange styrofoam boards to access key areas in the landslide area. When conditions improve, the government plans to use an army bridge-laying vehicle to build foundations so rescuers can move around.

Initially, searching was carried out until nightfall, at that point drones with thermal cameras were deployed to try and locate survivors. The airspace around the town was closed. One person was found dead in the landslide on Friday and ten people have been injured, none of whom were in life threatening situations. The search continues for ten missing people including a toddler and a thirteen year old girl. The mayor of the town remains hopeful, as rescuers continue to work on the current rescue mission.

One fifth of the 5,000 people living in the Gjerdum municipality (to which Ask belongs) have been evacuated because of the heightened risk of similar events happening in other areas where quick clay exists in the region. The search for the missing people is still underway, but as time passes the chance of finding the survivors decreases.

Sources: AFP, BBC

Featured image: whig.com