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One dead, nine still missing in Norway landslide
CGTN
A hillside collapses in Ask Village, 25 kilometers northeast of the capital Oslo, December 30, 2020. /CFP

A hillside collapses in Ask Village, 25 kilometers northeast of the capital Oslo, December 30, 2020. /CFP

Rescuers on Friday found a dead body and continued searching for nine other people still missing days after a mudslide destroyed homes in a Norwegian village, authorities have said.

An entire hillside collapsed in Ask Village, 25 kilometers northeast of the capital Oslo overnight Tuesday, burying homes or breaking them apart.

"A dead body was discovered in the landslide," police said without identifying the person.

The police statement said the discovery was made on Friday afternoon as Norwegian crews, supported by colleagues from Sweden, continued search operations in the snow-covered terrain.

Homes were buried under mud, others were cut in two and some houses were left teetering over a crater caused by the mudslide, with several falling over the edge.

Around 1,000 people were evacuated from the area on Wednesday as the ground was deemed unstable.

The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) said the disaster was a "quick clay slide" of approximately 300 by 800 meters.

Quick clay is a sort of clay found in Norway and Sweden that can collapse and turn to fluid when overstressed.

Police said 10 people had been injured, including one seriously who was transferred to Oslo for treatment.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg visited the village on Wednesday and described the landslide as "one of the largest" the country had seen.

(With input from AFP)

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