Search crews are now searching by helicopter over the affected area, where at least three cars and a bus were caught in the avalanche. So far, only minor injuries to people have been reported. The quick clay landslide must have occurred between the old and new E6 in Stenungsund, north of Gothenburg. – An area of approximately 500 meters in diameter is affected. We are working hard, says police spokesman August Brandt on Saturday morning. The emergency services were notified at 01:45 on Saturday night – Three injured people have been taken to hospital, duty officer Fredrik Flyberg of the police told news agency TT. They should be slightly injured, but are in shock, says Flyberg, according to SVT. Geotechnician: – Not a sinkhole It was first referred to as a sinkhole, but geotechnician Håkon Heyerdal, who has seen the pictures in the media, is clear that it is a quick clay landslide. Geotechnician Håkon Heyerdal Photo: June Witzøe – It appears to be a larger quick clay landslide. There are quite large local shifts in the masses. It’s definitely not a sinkhole, says Heyerdal to news. – What is the difference? – A sinkhole is when masses disappear into a hole due to an opening further down. You can see it in Oslo too, when a pipe has a leak and masses disappear down. This is no sinkhole. What you see is the edge of the avalanche that has opened up, he replies. Exposed area E6 north of Gothenburg is closed in both directions. The municipal management in Stenungsund is gathered for a crisis meeting on Saturday morning. – This is an area that is very prone to quick clay landslides. Historically, there have been several large landslides here, says Heyerdal. It was said on the spot that it had rained a lot there recently, but Heyerdal says quick clay is normally not so easily affected by rain. Photo: MIKAEL BERGLUND It will be difficult to get to the scene of the accident because there is still a great risk of landslides. Woke up by the lorry shaking A lorry driver who parked for the night in the affected industrial area woke up to his car shaking, he tells Dagens Nyheter. – I saw trees fall and the ground seemed to just slide away. The hamburger restaurant is completely destroyed, the house has probably moved five metres, he tells the newspaper. Buildings in the vicinity have suffered damage, but it should not be about homes. Aftonbladet writes that a hamburger restaurant has been hit. Several cars have driven into the avalanche Photo: Mikael Berglund Asking people to stay away from the area The rescue service states that more avalanches cannot be ruled out, and people are asked to stay away from the area. According to the police, the incident is expected to have “enormous” consequences for traffic for a long time to come. A large number of people from the emergency services are in place. Photo: Mikael Berglund – The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute must decide how large the cordoned-off area must be, says Flyberg of the Swedish police. The road is important for long-distance transport between Sweden and Norway. The detour takes around 45 minutes extra. The place where the landslide occurred is a little over 13 miles from Svinesundsbrua.
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Landslide near Gothenburg – three people to hospital – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
