– There is still a significant risk of landslides in many places in the country, and it is therefore gratifying that there have been no more serious landslide accidents so far this Easter.
The says leader of Norwegian People’s Aid Sanitet, Vegard Eidissen Lindbæk. He is himself an avalanche crew and has seen the consequences of being taken by avalanches up close.
He believes the calm start to Easter shows that people pay attention and avoid avalanche-dangerous terrain afterwards several dramatic landslide accidents before Easter.
Last week lost three French tourists live in the Lyngen Alps in Troms. Troms is the county there most avalanches occur in Norway. In Møre og Romsdal went the same week eight landslides in one day.
– Avalanches have enormous forces, and when we come to the rescue service, it is unfortunately often already too late. Therefore, we are happy that we have not had to move out on any more accidents in recent days, says Eidissen Lindbæk.
The Red Cross also reports few injuries in the Easter mountains so far. At 5 pm on Maundy Thursday, the call centers of the Red Cross Auxiliary Corps reported 15 assignments. That is a low number, writes Roy Worum in the national council of the Red Cross Auxiliary Corps in a press release.
He thinks it may indicate that people are good at following the mountain weather rules, but also reminds that the risk of avalanches is not over.
On the contrary, says Emma Julseth Barfod. She is the duty manager in the avalanche warning at NVE and says the risk of avalanches is increasing.
–
– Very demanding in large parts of the country
Friday it is reported significant avalanche danger in large parts of the country (danger level 3). From Saturday, temperatures are expected to rise in northern Norway.
With that, the risk of avalanches increases, says Julseth Barfod.
– We have a very demanding snow cover in large parts of the country. We have what we call persistently weak layers, which are very unstable layers, high in the snow cover. When the temperature now rises, the already unstable snow cover weakens even more.