Massive Explosion Rocks Oslo

[Boggy1 45]

A massive bomb blast has hit government buildings in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least two people and injuring 15 others.

PM Jens Stoltenberg described the situation as "very serious".

The bomb was followed by a shooting incident near Oslo at a youth meeting of the Labour Party, which Mr Stoltenberg leads.

Unconfirmed reports said a man dressed as a police officer had opened fire indiscriminately, injuring five.

No group has said they carried out the attacks.

Hours after the bomb struck Oslo, officials said some people were still inside the damaged buildings, some of which were on fire.

Television footage from the government quarter showed rubble and glass from shattered windows in the streets - smoke was rising from some buildings where fires were burning. The wreckage of at least one car was on one street.

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Oslo blast: Your pictures

All roads into the city centre have been closed, said national broadcaster NRK, and security officials evacuated people from the area, fearing another blast.

Mr Stoltenberg, in a telephone call to Norwegian television, said all government ministers were believed to be safe.

He said he had been advised by police not to reveal his current location.

"Even if one is well prepared, it is always rather dramatic when something like this happens," he said.

Egil Vrekke, Assistant Chief Constable of Oslo police told the BBC the rescue operation was ongoing.

"We are issuing warnings just make sure people are not in the area in case there are further explosions," he told the BBC.

"We have cordoned off large areas. There are bomb experts at the scene investigating whether there are other devices in the area."

A spokesman for Oslo University hospital said seven people had been taken there for treatment.

'Focus on rescue'

Hours later, reports emerged of a shooting at a Labour Party youth camp in Utoeya, and island outside the capital.

Mr Stoltenberg, who had been due to visit the camp on Saturday, told TV2 the situation in Utoeya was critical.

At least 500 people were at the camp, said reports, and five people were said to have been injured.

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Assistant Chief Constable Egil Vrekke: "There are a lot of casualties"

State Secretary Kristian Amundsen said Friday was a public holiday in Norway so the government offices were not as busy as they might usually have been.

"But there are many hundreds of people in these buildings every day," he told the BBC.

"We have to focus on the rescue operation - there are still people in the building, there are still people in the hospital."

Reuters said the oil ministry was among the other government buildings hit.

Oistein Mjarum, head of communications for the Norwegian Red Cross, said his offices were close to the site of the explosion.

"There was a massive explosion which could be heard over the capital Oslo," he told the BBC.

"This is a very busy area on Friday afternoon and there was a lot of people in the streets, and many people working in these buildings that are now burning," he said.

An NRK journalist, Ingunn Andersen, said the headquarters of tabloid newspaper VG had also been damaged.

"I see that some windows of the VG building and the government headquarters have been broken. Some people covered with blood are lying in the street," AP quoted her as saying.

"It's complete chaos here. The windows are blown out in all the buildings close by."

Local resident Silvio told the BBC the blast shook everything in his apartment.

"I went running out onto the street to see what happened. All the neighbours came running out too."

He said he saw two or three unconscious people being carried on stretchers and others on the floor.

"If they were dead or not I wouldn't be able to tell you but they were receiving assistance at the time."

"The police were clearing the area and there was already various security guards who were going over to attend to the various shops whose glass had been broken out."

Mr Mjarum said people across the Oslo and Norway were in shock.

"We have never had a terrorist attack like this in Norway - if that's what it is - but of course this has been a great fear for all Norwegians when they have seen what has been happening around the world."

The United States has condemned the "despicable acts of violence" in Oslo, while the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said he was "deeply shocked" by "these acts of cowardice for which there is no justification".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14252515

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Boggy1  

[Boggy1 45]

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Boggy1  

[TowerDude 2,186]

Very sad event I find it amazing that someone would attack Norway, such a peaceful place,

Reuters reports state TV says one person has been arrested at the Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utoya.

[deathtopumpkins 43]

This is NOT supposed to happen in Norway. Seriously.

Very tragic. My thoughts are with the victims.

[Glenni 1,444]

Here's some pictures:

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Glenni  

[Meg 368]

Gunman Open Fire at Norway Youth Camp, Deaths Reported

They think it is related to the bombing.

What the heck here? This stuff shouldn't be happening at all, much less in Norway. Why there?

[Glenni 1,444]

These are just rumours, but they say there may be 20 to 30 kids, teenagers and young adults dead at the island, Utøya.

as said, rumours, but i wouldn't say it was impoossible, there were some 700 people there, and then suddenly a guy starts shooting.. yea.. i don't want to think this happened, but you can never be too sure.

[kakado_to_save 514]

Wow.. this is really serious..

Do they know which organization is behind this attack?

[Meg 368]

The building reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing and that turned out to be a homegrown nut job.

But this would take at least two nut jobs unless it is possible for one guy to blow up the building and then run to the island.

An island with a youth camp? That makes no sense.

[Cobraroll 138]

I heard the bomb, living about 20 kilometres away. We thought it was thunder at first, as the weather has been quite gloomy in the Oslo area today. Then half an hour later, my dad told me to come and watch the TV.

My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Why anyone would do this is beyond me. They took one guy at Utøya. I hope they tear his fingers off and release him in the mountains. Then when he's nearly dead, feed him, tend to his wounds and release him again. This does not call for the usual 21 years of confinement, or humane treatment at all. Our ancestors would have gouged his eyes out and have him burned alive.

EDIT:

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Cobraroll  

[Glenni 1,444]

it was a camp for the labour party's political youth group, where they held meetings, hang around with fellow likeminded, and have concerts etc.

[Alejandro24 575]

Rebasan los 10 muertos por hechos violentos en Noruega

It sounds strange, an terrorist attack and a gunman in Norway. Who wanted to attack this objectives in Norway?

Anyway, this kind of acts and doings are condemnable and repudiated.

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Alejandro24  

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I don't think I get BBC so I saw the news on Fox. That pretty much means that this can happen anywhere. I think that the developed world needs to help bring safety and security to the Middle East.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

This was covered by CBC when it broke. I am still astonished and shocked. Norway? You have got to be kidding!

If it was a time-bomb the same nut could have gotten to the youth camp and timed his target practice with the Oslo event. There is the possibility that this is just a home grown Timothy McVeigh.

Thoughts turned to the families of those killed by the gunman.

  Edited July 22, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[Cobraroll 138]

^The shootings began almost excactly two hours after the bombs went off.

Casualities is reported to be 17 now, seven in the bomb attacks and ten at Utøya. Not sure if they have searched through the government quarters yet, though. There might be more people inside, dead or alive.

Not looking forward to what might come now. Norway was one of the countries where you could walk up to and often into government buildings without stopping you, where armed police was reserved for emergency situations, and high-profile politicians walked among the people in the streets going to and from job. I do not wish for an Americanised security, where you have to go through a bureaucratic nightmare just to visit the country, and where embassies and even schools are built like fortresses. I loved the "can't we all just stay friends?" attitude.

Some say Al-Qaeida is behind the attack great, citing the Norwegian presence in Afghanistan as the reason behind the attack. Great job attacking a country that is pulling out of Afghanistan as fast as the system allows us to. We don't even have manoeuver units there any more.

[Easy Bakes 253]

The building reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing and that turned out to be a homegrown nut job.

But this would take at least two nut jobs unless it is possible for one guy to blow up the building and then run to the island.

An island with a youth camp? That makes no sense.

I was just going to say it looked a lot like the OKC bombing.

Dont they keep thier government buildings on that island? seperate from the mainland, it think

vancoover has the same set up.

[hamsterTK 93]

A radical jihadist group has claimed responsibility, but that's the extent of it. Its possible they are just taking credit when someone else did it.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/22/blast-rips-through-norways-capital-injuries-reported/?hpt=T1

Good news, they caught the shooter alive. That is a big deal, now he can be interrogated and researched

. The man, who is still being questioned, is tall with blonde hair, “Nordic appearance,” police said.

This might be interesting.

  Edited July 22, 2011 by hamsterTK  

[Easy Bakes 253]

A radical jihadist group has claimed responsibility, but that's the extent of it. Its possible they are just taking credit when someone else did it.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/22/blast-rips-through-norways-capital-injuries-reported/?hpt=T1

Good news, they caught the shooter alive. That is a big deal, now he can be interrogated and researched

Iv always thought it better to not get these guys alive.

trial media circuses being what they are today to cloud the truth with months of speculation.

[Cobraroll 138]

The building reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing and that turned out to be a homegrown nut job.

But this would take at least two nut jobs unless it is possible for one guy to blow up the building and then run to the island.

An island with a youth camp? That makes no sense.

Dont they keep thier government buildings on that island? seperate from the mainland, it think

vancoover has the same set up.

To clarify: Many Norwegian political parties have youth groups. Most, in fact (yes, we have loads of political parties. Diversity, you know). In the summer, it's popular for those youth groups to gather, much like a scout camp. This year, the Norwegian Labour Party had their camp at Utøya (lit. Ut Island) in the lake of Tyrifjorden, less than an hour's drive from Oslo. About 650 youths aged 13-25 attained the event.

The man was wearing a fake police uniform when he approached the dock where the camp shuttle boats left the mainland for Utøya. He had police ID, and claimed to be there for a "routine security check" after the bomb attack in Oslo. The guards (volunteers from the youth group) at the dock let him over to the island. There, he started shooting. Ten are reported dead, but some are still missing as terrified youths tried to swim away from the island while the man was shooting at them.

The man was later arrested. He is ethnically Norwegian, and is speculated to be a right-wing extremist. Literally typing as I hear the news from the TV.

[Glenni 1,444]

The building reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing and that turned out to be a homegrown nut job.

But this would take at least two nut jobs unless it is possible for one guy to blow up the building and then run to the island.

An island with a youth camp? That makes no sense.

I was just going to say it looked a lot like the OKC bombing.

Dont they keep thier government buildings on that island? seperate from the mainland, it think

vancoover has the same set up.

Think you misunderstand some details here, basically, the bombings were at the central government location in the city centre of Oslo. Regjerings Kvartalet, Government Quarter if you wish. that's where a bomb went off right outside the highrise office block, with the prime minister's office on the 16th floor. 7 people were killed there, THEN two hours later:

A gunman disguised as a cop starts shooting at the labour party's political youth camp at Utøya, an inland island on a lake an hour's drive west of Oslo, which is sort of like a camp, a concert, meeting and a social getup, more or less. Where he then killed 10 people and shot many others. There were 700 people there, many of them kids, teenagers and young adults.

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Glenni  

[Meg 368]

To clarify: Many Norwegian political parties have youth groups.

Thirteen year olds at a political youth camp? Never mind . . . that isn't important now.

But it could explain why the island with the youth group was targeted. But targeting kids, no matter who they are, is despicable.

[Alejandro24 575]

Policía de Oslo relaciona los ataques con 'movimientos locales antisistema'

How is the political situation in Norway? Is there situations of political radicalism between politial parties?

Condolences for all the Norwegian people.

  Edited July 22, 2011 by Alejandro24  

[Duke87 1,070]

Okay, so, help me out with something here. I've been hearing reports that in Denmark and Scandinavia there are tensions growing between the native people and all the Muslim immigrants showing up. And that thus this incident has the potential to create a lot of backlash.

Folks actually living there: is there any truth to these reports?

[Meg 368]

At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting

It isn't all sorted yet so I imagine that number will change. Most of them are probably kids.

I know at least one person in Oklahoma City who is having flashbacks. A lot of kids died there too.

I would like to know what this guy was thinking.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Norway better step up security instead of being a peaceful pacifist Hippie country. I do not want this to happen to such a nice county again. American style security works.

[RipRap 4,400]

That is the worst thing I ever heard since the massacre in the Philippines... My thoughts and prayers to all Norwegians...

@Cobraroll - I pray for your safety

All have the right to live!

[Alejandro24 575]

Norway better step up security instead of being a peaceful pacifist Hippie country. I do not want this to happen to such a nice county again. American style security works.

You're touching a fragil point, Isn't too easy like to say being a peaceful pacifist Hippie country. Apparently pacifism is part of the modern culture of Norway, nobody has the right to push them to another thinking. Only the people from Norway can decide of its own issues. And I contradict, American style security works in a paranoic way, and the security doesn't works efficiently in that way; and thats maybe Cobraroll wanted to say.

  Edited July 23, 2011 by Alejandro24  

[Easy Bakes 253]

So far looks like this Anders Behring Breivik is another Timothy McVeigh.

80 people? the cops should have just put a bullet in this guy.

I wonder if the bomb was just a distraction to keep

civil authorities busy and away from the island.

  Edited July 23, 2011 by Easy Bakes  

[hamsterTK 93]

Either way, the fact that he didn't turn his brain into manwich with the same gun he shot his victims with, as almost all mass murderers do, means this is a special case.

He is alive, he can be studied. Put him under an MRI machine, seriously. You would be surprised how many evil people turn out to have some kind of brain damage in just the right place. Its really fascinating.

I'm not saying that makes him more innocent or anything, just its an opportunity for science here. If we find something, perhaps in the future when we release a car accident victim from the hospital with a head messed up in the exactly the same way then we know...

  Edited July 23, 2011 by hamsterTK  

[Cobraroll 138]

Ninety-one.

Seven dead in Oslo.

Eighty-four at Utøya.

One man, a right-wing extremist, is thought to be behind both attacks. I don't think he'll live for another three years. Norway wakes up in shock and fury today. We might be peaceful hippie pacifists in calmer times, but viking blood is still flowing in our veins. The man will be haunted for the rest of his life. The authorities can not hide him in Norway. He can not hide abroad. Norwegians are a creative people, both when it comes to technology (he WILL be found someday), and ways of harming people. We just don't practise as much.