Tanzanian Association Oslo

Western Norway closed by avalanches

With milder weather, more than 70 major roads in the counties of Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland and Rogaland in Western Norway have been closed by avalanches, rock slides and flooding this weekend.

Several towns, hamlets and farms are completely isolated, and the situation is worst in Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane, but Odda and Sauda in Rogaland are also isolated by slides and floodwaters.

The highway authorities call the situation chaotic and have appealed to motorists to leave their cars at home and stay off the roads.

- The danger of avalanches is still great, said duty officer Camilla Einarsen to public broadcaster NRK Monday morning.

In Rogaland the driver of a snow-plow is missing after his truck was probably take by an avalanche Sunday evening. The truck has not been found, and the police fear that it has been swept into a lake (Gyavatnet) near Tonstad. The search for the driver was resumed Monday morning.

The railwayline between Bergen and Oslo was Monday morning blocked by a rockslide between Voss and Bergen, and according to Norway Rails it would take several hours to clear the line.

Source: NRK/Norway Post