Ten injured and 21 missing after landslide destroys houses near Oslo

Hundreds evacuated as rescue services assess devastation in Gjerdrum

At least ten people were injured when a landslide smashed into a village near the capital of Norway, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes.

The tide of mud and clay destroyed as many as 14 houses in Ask in the municipality of Gjerdrum, some 30km north of Oslo, shortly before 4am. Photos taken by rescue services showed a large crater littered with debris.

Police said 21 people living in the affected area were still unaccounted for. “We do not know if these are in the landslide area, if they are on holiday, away, or otherwise prevented from contacting us,” the force said in a statement.

Dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene as more than 700 people were ordered to evacuated amid fears of further landslides.

One seriously injured person was flown to hospital, four were transported by ambulance, and five were treated in a nearby emergency facility.

Police say as many as 14 houses were destroyed by the tide of mud and clay (AP)

Rescue services were unable to immediately access the area due to the unstable conditions. "It is currently only possible to get in by helicopter," the police said. "This makes the rescue work very demanding. It is currently not possible for rescue crews to enter affected homes in the inner landslide area."

Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg was due to attend a crisis meeting with local officials in Ask on Wednesday afternoon. She tweeted. "It hurts to see how the forces of nature have ravaged Gjerdrum. My thoughts go to all those affected by the landslide. Now it is important that the emergency services get their job done."

Police also said they had received reports that residents living in the evacuation area had tried to return to their homes to retrieve belongings. "This is not allowed in any way, and that you put yourself and potentially others in great danger," the Gjerdum force warned.

The landslide area is known for its "quick clay", a form of clay that can behave more like a liquid than a solid when disturbed. It is thought heavy rain in recent days may have caused the soil to shift.

A car stops on the edge of a landslide in the village Ask in Gjerdrum. (EPA)

Torild Hofshagen, the regional head of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, told a news conference that masses of earth continued to move in what has been one of the largest clay slides in Norway’s recent history.

Residents living close to the landslide area told how they were woken by the sounds of rescue helicopters and dogs barking. "I was woken by the sound of a helicopter flying overhead and then the police called, telling us to evacuate," Kjetil Aamann told broadcaster TV2.

Wenche and Knut Ertzgaard told the VG newspaper: “We woke up at 4am with screams and howls, and thought it was a party. But then we heard the helicopter. Then we realized that it was something else.”

Additional reporting by agencies