Norway Abandons Hope of Finding More Survivors After Landslide

(Bloomberg) -- A landslide that hit a village not far from Norway’s capital last week has claimed 10 lives, as rescue workers confirmed that seven people were dead, and abandoned hope that the others were still living.

Six days after the landslide hit, rescue efforts are now being brought to a close, Ida Melbo Oystese, chief of police for eastern Norway, told reporters on Tuesday.

Norway had deployed helicopters and drones and, once the ground was stable enough, sent in rescue workers to make their way through the wreckage looking for any signs of life. Earlier on Tuesday, there was a brief moment of hope as a dog emerged from the debris, having suffered just minor injuries.

“We have searched every area where it was possible to think that someone could survive,” Oystese said. “We have done everything in our power, but this natural catastrophe has had significant force.”

The quick-clay slide happened more than 20 kilometers north of Oslo and follows a month of record rainfall in the capital. About 1,000 people were evacuated from the area after the landslide devastated much of the village.

Such landslides are known to occur in Norway and neighboring Sweden when the quick clay common to some parts of Scandinavia is overloaded and starts to flow like liquid, according to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. Several houses were carried out into the sea due to a similar slide in June. No one was injured in that event.

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