Gjerdrum will be decorated with hearts and candles on the one-year anniversary of the landslide

Gjerdrum Municipality is encouraging everyone in the Municipality to hang up hearts and light candles on the day of the one-year celebration of the landslide in Ask.

In memory of the ten people who lost their lives in the tragedy, and in a show of support to all those who lost their homes, the residents of Gjerdrum will mark the first anniversary of the quick clay landslide on Thursday. The original plan for a full gathering in Ask and several other places in the Municipality had to be changed and adapted to the new corona rules.

“Part of the program had to be canceled due to the infection situation, but we will lay a wreath at a temporary memorial we have established,” Mayor Anders Østensen told NTB.

Lights and gathering places

Gathering places are also set up around the Municipality, and all the inhabitants of Gjerdrum are encouraged to light candles in the driveways and their courtyards.

“We encourage all residents of Gjerdrum to have lights in their own courtyards, driveways, gardens, and verandas – all places where it is possible to put out lights this day,” the Municipality wrote to all residents.

Gjerdrum culture house will be open from early in the morning until late in the evening, and volunteers and employees from the municipality and the church will serve waffles and coffee.

A photo exhibition about “The small village with the big heart” will be opened, and a concert from Ask culture house, with Knut Bjørnar Asphol and Erlend Gunstveit, will be streamed.

The church in the center of Ask will also be open on Thursday evening between 7 and 9 PM: 

10 people died

The landslide last year is one of the largest quick clay landslides in Norwegian history. An area of ​​300 by 700 meters collapsed, and 14 buildings with 31 residential units in Nystulia disappeared in 1.35 million cubic meters of clay. Some houses were moved up to 400 meters.

Thirteen people were rescued from the landslide during the first hours, while ten people lost their lives. 

Several of them were missing for a long time before they were found dead. The last deceased was not found until March 25.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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