Norway mudslide: Seventh body recovered; rescue operation continues

Rescue teams in Norway are still searching for survivors after landslide destroyed homes in a Norwegian village. The team of rescuers have announced that a seventh body has been recovered, however, three remain missing. The team continues its rescue operation with the hope of finding more people that are believed to be missing. 

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Current situation in Norway 

According to the reports by AP, Norwegian police pledged not to scale down the rescue operations, even after the Sweden team has already returned home. Talking about the survival conditions, local police chief Ida Melbo Oeystese said, “Medically, you can survive for several days if you have air”. The Norwegian police have also published the names and birth years of the 10 people initially reported missing. The list also includes a two-year-old child. As per police, four bodies were discovered on Friday and Saturday, and another two on Sunday. 

Read: 2nd Body Found After Landslide In Norway; 8 People Missing

(Rescue crews work in the area at Ask in Gjerdrum, Saturday Jan. 2, 2021, after a massive landslide smashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital on Wednesday. Image Credits: AP)

(A candle burns on Saturday Jan. 2, 2021, for the victims of the massive landslide that hit the residential area in Ask in Gjerdrum, Norway on Wednesday. Image Credits: AP)

(The landslide cut across a road through Ask, leaving a deep ravine that cars could not pass. Image Credits: AP)

Reports by AP suggest that at least 1,000 people have been evacuated and many more may have to leave. Also, ground search teams, accompanied with sniffer dogs, are being given helicopters and drones, to further contribute to the rescue operation. At least 9 buildings, along with a total of 30 apartments were destroyed. 

Read: Nine Injured, Some 200 Evacuated After Landslide In Norway

The rescue operation was affected by a number of problems, including, limited number of daylight hours, fears of further land erosion and the fragile ground on the site. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate spokeswoman Toril Hofshagen called the landslide unique in its destruction. She said, “Not since 1893 has there been a quick clay landslide of this dimension in Norway”.

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(Image Credits: AP)