Now salvaged seven dead after Norwegian ‘fast clay’ tragedy | Abroad

A 31-year-old man was found dead on Friday, but rescue workers found another three victims on Saturday. Their identity has not yet been disclosed. On Friday, the police did publish the list with the names of the missing, including a two-year-old and a 13-year-old child. Ten people were injured. One seriously injured victim had to be transferred to a hospital in the capital Oslo.

Norwegian King Harald visited the disaster area on Sunday with Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon. “We have had an eventful day. I have trouble saying things because this is absolutely horrible, ”said the king. The royal couple and the crown prince met with evacuees and relatives, as well as representatives of municipalities and emergency services.

‘Horrible’

About a thousand residents of the disaster area have been evacuated. “We are in a hotel,” says one of them. “It’s a totally surreal and terrible situation.” Rescue teams with dogs are meanwhile using helicopters and drones to search for the missing in the snowy disaster area. Tunnels are also dug into the earth to bring survivors to safety or to recover deceased victims.

Fast clay

The Norwegian authorities have said that the landslide is most likely related to the type of soil in the area, so-called ‘fast clay’ or ‘liquid clay’. The sea clay, formed in the Ice Age, can suddenly lose its solid form under pressure and become liquid when under pressure.

In the Scandinavian country, landslides have occurred more often in areas with the concerned soil type. For example, eight more buildings fell into the sea in June, resulting in no casualties. Prime Minister Erna Solberg called the landslide in Ask last Wednesday one of the largest the country has ever seen.

–