A landslide struck a residential area in the village of Ask, located in the municipality of Gjerdrum in southern Norway in the early hours of Wednesday. 10 people are said to have been injured and at least 10 are said to be missing in the mishap.

Gjerdrum is located a little over 15 miles North East of Noway’s capital city of Oslo and is home to over 1,000 people. Over 700 people have been evacuated so far and rescue operations are on. Police fear people are trapped in the mud and debris.

Rescue teams are using drone, helicopters and heat seeking cameras to look for signs of life in the debris. A large crater has been formed by the “quick-clay” landslide. Quick clay is a type of clay that can turn fluid under stress and is found in the region.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg visited Gjerdrum and tweeted, “It hurts to see how the forces of nature have ravaged Gjerdrum. My thoughts go out to everyone affected by the landslide. Now it is important that the emergency services get their job done.”

Norway’s monarch King Harald Fairhair has also issued a statement saying, “The night’s landslide in Gjerdrum has made a deep impression on me and my family. My thoughts are with everyone who is affected, injured, has lost their home and who now lives in fear and uncertainty about the full extent of the disaster. In a situation that is still confusing, I send a sincere hope and my warmest concern to all those affected by the disaster. I would also like to thank all the emergency services, the municipalities in the immediate area and volunteers for their great efforts under very demanding conditions.”

*Feature image: Representational image by Maensard Vokser via Wikimedia Commons.