Possible bomb shot by robot

The bomb-like object found in the Grønland in Oslo.Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB scanpix

The bomb-like object found in the Grønland in Oslo on Saturday night, was detonated by shots from the bomb team’s robot.

– The robot has fired a shot at the object, Operations Manager Vidar Pedersen, told VG.

Around one am on Sunday morning the police notified that they had conducted a controlled detonation of the bomb-like object found Saturday night.

– We have made a controlled detonation. The bang was louder than that coming from the apparatus that bomb group used, so we think that something went of over there, responsible officer on site, Svein Arild Jørundland, told NTB and the rest of the press corps.

The bomb squad arrived Lakkegata nearby the Vaterland Bridge around 11 pm on Saturday evening. The experts assessed the situation and according to the news agency they used a remote-controlled bomb device.

PST

At 2.30 am the Police Security Service (PST) informed that they have taken over the investigation of the case.

– There are several reasons why we have taken over the case, but I can not go into that now, Information Officer in the PST, Martin Bernsen, told Aftenposten.

– We are very early in the investigation, now we focus on the usual investigatory steps including preserving evidence and to conduct interrogations, Bernsen said.

Loud bang

The area that was cordoned of stretched from the eastern end of the Grønland area from Tøyenbekken to Brugata including the Vaterland Park and parts of the Aker riverside.

The Grønland underground station was also closed. But just before 2 am, the outer cordons were removed, while the police continued on-site behind the barricades at Lakkegata.

 

– Just what we found I can not say for sure, but there was a louder bang than normal when we perform such actions during practice, Jørundland stated on the controlled detonation undertaken.

Carried object

So far a man is in questioning by the police, but they will not comment on his identity.

– There was a police patrol which spotted him, a man who we become suspicious to. The way I have perceived it, he had an object in his hands when the police saw him. The object was in packed in a cardboard box inside a plastic bag, he continued.

– We talk about a crate around 30 by 30 centimetres in size. It was found on the streets close to the Vaterland Bridge here in Grønlandsleiret, Jørundland told reporters at the site around 11 pm on Saturday evening.

Jørundland furthermore said that the size of the item indicated that it did not have a large potential for harm, but that they had set up adequate roadblocks to ensure public safety.

In addition to the suspect, there are also witnesses in for questioning by the police.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today