26 persons still not accounted for after Gjerdrum landslide, rescue crews are reaching hardest-hit areas via helicopter

Around 500 people have been evacuated in Gjerdrum after the landslide, mayor Anders Østensen (AP) revealed.

“There may be talk of evacuating significantly more people,” Østensen told news bureau NTB.

He says that the authorities are continuously working to have an overview of what the most important tasks are at all times.

“You must always do what is most critical in a crisis. But now we are working to make room for all the evacuees,” Østensen said.

26 people still not accounted for

“26 people have still not been accounted for – that is, people who have an address and place of residence inside the ‘red’ area, at the crash site. 

“These could be people who have been evacuated, but there may also be people who are inside the landslide area,” task leader Roger Pettersen in the police noted.

The rescue crews are only getting into the hardest-hit areas from the air, i.e., by a helicopter.

At least nine people have been injured in the landslide in Gjerdrum. Pictures from the site show that several houses were located in the middle of the landslide area.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today