A landslide in a Norwegian village has injured 10 people, left 12 people unaccounted for and buried houses under dark mud.
About 700 people have been evacuated from the village of Gjerdrum, which lies some 25km north-east of the capital, Oslo.
One person was seriously hurt, reports say.
PM Erna Solberg said the situation was still so unstable that only rescues by helicopter could be carried out.
“It’s a dramatic experience to be here,” she told reporters at the scene.
On social media she said: “It hurts to see how the forces of nature have ravaged Gjerdrum” and added: “My thoughts go to everyone affected by the landslide.”
The landslide began during the early hours of Wednesday, with residents calling emergency services and telling them that their houses were moving, police said.
Of those still missing, police said in a statement: “We don’t know if these people are in the landslide area, if they are away on holiday or in another way unable to contact police.”
The local municipality warned that up to 1,500 people could need to leave the region because of concerns about the condition of the ground.
BBC