Landslide in Norway leaves nine injured, forces 200 to evacuate

A landslide has smashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital, injuring nine people and destroying several homes, authorities said.

Some 200 people have been evacuated on Wednesday amid fears of further landslides.

Norwegian police were alerted at 4am (03:00 GMT) to the slip in the village of Ask, in the municipality of Gjerdrum, some 20km (12 miles) north of Oslo.

Photos of the area showed at least eight homes destroyed. Some 40 ambulances were sent to the scene and evacuation was ongoing as officials said there was a risk of further landslides.

Police spokesman Roger Pettersen told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that there were no reports of missing people, but officials could not rule out the possibility of people still 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.