Now it is a sad certainty: the landslide in Norway wiped out an entire family.
Oslo – They were so excited for the new baby! But a landslide destroyed the young family happiness. Björn-Ivar Grymyr Jansen († 40) and his daughter Alma († 2) were found dead over the weekend. On Monday it was announced that Charlot († 31) was one of the recovered dead. She was very pregnant. The second child in the family was due to be born in February.
The fate of the family touches many Norwegians. Some have lit candles in front of relatives and friends’ homes.
Björn-Ivar’s brother published photos of his family on December 30th. Back then he was still hoping. “This is my beloved brother Björn-Ivar Jansen and his fantastic wife Charlot together with sweet little Alma. All three are still missing. If anyone knows anything, please let me know. I would like to see you safe. “
Unfortunately, the hoped-for news never came.
Instead, the brother received news on Sunday that little Alma and her father had been found dead. Charlot was also identified among the dead on Monday.
In the neighboring village of Ask, people set up candles for the victims at the Christmas nativity scenePhoto: via REUTERS
Seven fatalities recovered
A total of seven dead have now been recovered and identified. Irene Ruud Gundersen († 69) is one of the dead. Her husband Steinar and daughter Marita were able to save themselves from the collapsing house. Both were hospitalized with injuries.
Three residents are still missing:
► Rasa Lasinskiene (49) had to work on the early shift on December 30th and was still out and about with her dog at 4 a.m. She was on the phone with her husband when the earth opened.
► Ann-Mari Olsen-Næristorp (50) and her 13-year-old daughter Viktoria. Ann-Mari’s husband Odd Steiner was injured and was taken to hospital.
Search continues
The rescue teams don’t give up. Despite the icy cold (temperatures are around minus 10 degrees) and the difficult underground, they continue to work. Everyone hopes that there might be survivors in the air holes.
This hope is no coincidence. On Monday evening a dog jumped at the rescuers. He had survived the disaster in a cavity since December 30th.
The horror night
On December 30, early in the morning at 4 a.m., the ground opened up in Gjerdrum (Norway), around 40 kilometers northeast of Oslo: Suddenly a whole hill collapsed, tearing a 300 meter wide and 700 meter long hole in the ground. Dozens of houses and apartments were swept away and destroyed.
A whole hill, simply slumped: The masses of earth swallowed houses and people Photo: AP
The house of the Grymar Jansen family on the outskirts was one of the first to disappear into the icy night and into the mud. Björn-Ivar, his wife Charlot and little Alma obviously had no chance, could not save themselves.
Rescue workers were still looking for missing persons on January 4th Photo: AFP
At least ten people were injured during the departure last Wednesday. Nine houses with more than 30 residential units collapsed and around 1,000 people were brought to safety. Ten people were initially considered missing.