Here went the death knell

– This was one of the first real good weather days, with great conditions and an avalanche danger level of two, so there were quite a lot of people in the mountains today, says operations manager in Troms police district Roy Tore Meyer to Dagbladet.

For two of those who were out on a trip, it ended in the worst possible way. They became taken by a major avalanche on Sofiatinden in Troms. This afternoon, the police confirmed to Dagbladet that both died in the avalanche.

These are two men in their late 20s, living in Tromsø. The relatives have been notified.

– Large breed

At the police operations center in Troms, the first report of the landslide came at 13.25.

– According to the report, there had been a large landslide, and the caller estimated that it had happened about 15 minutes ago, ie at 13.15, says operations manager Meyer.

He does not know the exact size of the landslide, but says:

– When you have a landslide that is 100 – 200 meters wide, it depends a bit on how high up in the mountain the landslide has gone, and how much the snow masses have managed to accelerate. The higher the breaking edge, the more snow masses the landslide takes with it.

Dagbladet’s drone images from the landslide area show that the fault edge appears to be a good distance up the mountain.

– We assume that this has gone high, says the operations manager.

The triggering cause of the landslide is still unknown, according to police.

Observed traces

In the introductory report, the police received information that two people had been observed entering the area where the landslide had occurred.

– Traces were also observed into the landslide area, says Meyer, who adds:

– Then it got hectic. We had to get out as soon as possible with all available resources to locate the people.

Tourism Manager: – Tragic

Helicopter over the avalanche

At 13.32, the medical helicopter took off from the university hospital in Tromsø.

The Red Cross was notified and a Sea King helicopter from Lakselv set course for the crash site. The police helicopter did the same at 13.55.

Operations Manager Meyer says that the medical helicopter arrived first.

– It is logged that the first helicopter was over the avalanche at 13.54, but there may have been something before, and that there is a slight delay in the logging, Meyer says.

– Quick find

Just three minutes later, at 13.57, the first person taken by the avalanche was dug out, he states.

– We went into action immediately, made a quick discovery, and implemented life-saving first aid on the spot, Meyer says.

A large landslide naturally makes the exploration work more demanding, confirms the operations manager.

– It does, but from experience you start searching at the bottom of the avalanche tongue. Often those taken by landslides are taken down there, he says.

The discovery of the other person who was taken by the avalanche happened at 14.23. Here, too, life-saving first aid was immediately implemented.

But lives could not be saved.

– They were both declared dead on the spot, Meyer says.

Danger level two in the area

Crisis preparedness

The operations manager says that the rescue crews in the field received significant help from two or three witnesses who were in the area.

– They were involved in digging out and finding the people, so their efforts were of great value, says the operations manager.

Tonight, these witnesses will be taken care of by the municipality’s emergency preparedness.

The municipality’s crisis team in Tromsø is set to take care of the relatives of the two victims. Among other things, the emergency room offers them, Meyer states.

– Unfortunately, we have quite good experience in dealing with such situations, says mayor of Lyngen municipality, Dan-Håvard Johnsen, to Dagbladet, and continues:

– Now all agencies are involved and everyone has made themselves available to meet the wishes of the police, relatives and others who have been involved in the situation who want to talk to health personnel.

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