2020 Gjerdrum landslide

The 2020 Gjerdrum landslide was a quick clay landslide that occurred in the early hours of 30 December 2020 at Ask village, the administrative centre of Gjerdrum, Norway. It spanned a flow off area of 300 by 700 metres (980 by 2,300 ft) and additionally affected 9 hectares (22 acres) by debris flow. Several buildings were destroyed, most of them houses and apartment buildings.

2020 Gjerdrum landslide
Nystulia at the top of the landslide
Date30 December 2020 (2020-12-30)
Timec. 3:45–4:00 AM (CET (GMT+1))
LocationAsk village, Viken, Norway
Coordinates60°03′54″N 11°02′13″E
TypeLandslide, quick clay slide
OutcomeSeveral buildings destroyed, about 1000 people evacuated
Deaths9
Non-fatal injuries10
Missing1

As of February 9th, 2021, nine people had been confirmed killed by the landslide, while one remains missing.[1]

The causes of the landslide will be investigated by police, according to media.[2]

Background

There have previously been landslides in Gjerdrum municipality. During the night between 20 and 21 October 1924, a landslide destroyed several farms and damaged 1600 metres of road.[3][4][5] In 1973 there was a landslide at Ask.[6] A 1980 landslide was near the south end of the 2020 landslide.[7] In 2014, a landslide destroyed two houses.[8]

In July 2008, an article published in Romerikes Blad stated that hydrologist and geologist Steinar Myrabø had warned the municipality of soil erosion and the potential risk of a landslide, calling for a halt in construction at Nystulia on behalf of Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature's local chapter.[9] In November 2020 a hiking path was constructed 150 m westwards of the later slide area. The photos of heavy machinery initiated public concern.[2] But the path and the slide area are separated by two small ridges and the Fjelstadbekken stream.

According to the broadcaster NRK, intense rain in the days before the incident may have caused soil movements in the area.[10] The Nannestad municipality next to Gjerdrum evacuated a hamlet on 15. December 2020 after a small landslide nearby.[11]

Search and recovery operations

The first reports of the landslide were made at 3:51 am on 30 December 2020. 10 people were injured, with 26 initially reported missing, though it was later determined that the actual number of missing persons was 10.[12]

On New Year's Day, assistance from Sweden was requested; a 14-person Urban Search and Rescue team[13] from Sweden worked onsite, and was released the same evening after the arrival of additional Norwegian rescue personnel.[14]

By January 1st 2021, details of the ten people missing were published by police. The same day, the first casualty was reported. Early on 2 January, the body of a second victim was found, and later that day two more people were found dead.[15][16] On 3 January, three more people were found dead, bringing the death toll to seven. Three people still remain missing, with searches continuing.[17][1]

On January 5th, 2021, the Norwegian authorities stated they no longer held out any hope of finding further survivors. At that time, three people were still missing.[18]

A video released by the police on January 6th shows a rescue helicopter over the avalanche, searching for survivors. The video is filmed from a police helicopter, and from the communications one can hear how they are trying to guide the rescue helicopter to the survivors' location.[19]

Victims

The names of the victims were made public on 1 January, with the permission of their families.[20]

NameAgeFoundConfirmed dead
Eirik Grønolen 31 Jan 1 Yes
Lisbeth Neraas 54 Jan 2 Yes
Marius Brustad 29 Jan 3 Yes
Bjørn-Ivar Grymyr Jansen 40 Jan 2 Yes
Charlot Grymyr Jansen 31 Jan 3 Yes
Alma Grymyr Jansen 2 Jan 2 Yes
Isak Grymyr Jansen Unborn Jan 2 Yes
Irene Ruud Gundersen 69 Jan 3 Yes
Rasa Lasinskiene 49 Not confirmed No
Ann-Mari Olsen-Næristorp 50 Not confirmed No
Victoria Emilie Næristorp-Sørengen 13 Not confirmed No

Search for presumed dead

On 5 January the police stated that they no longer held out any hope of finding more survivors, but will continue the search for the last three victims.

The same day the Norwegian Armed Forces and their equipment have left the area, with only the Home Guard left on the scene till 12 January[21][22][23]

The Norwegian Civil Defence terminated their mission on 15 January and a civilian security company will continue to guard the affected areas.[24]

After a two weeks break the search for the remaining missing victims continued from January 18.[25]

On February 9th, 2021 two bodies were located by search teams searching for the three remaining missing victims.[26]

Mobilized resources

Many government and private organizations, military units and volunteer organizations were involved in the search and recovery operation:

Government agencies

Private organizations

Volunteer organizations
  • Regional Red Cross units – Evacuation of residents, volunteer ambulances and organizing of evacuation centers.
  • Norwegian People's Aid – Volunteer ambulances, evacuation of a nursing home, vehicles, organizing of evacuation centers.
  • Norwegian Rescue Dog Association – 28 K9 units on standby.
  • Norwegian Radio Relay League – Organizing of signals and communication.

Norwegian armed forces

Aftermath

The Nannestad and Gjerdrum Red Cross received large amounts of donations of toys, clothing, and hygiene products for the victims of the landslide.[28]

Following the disaster, several news outlets revealed that the affected area had been designated as a high-risk area for landslides as early as 2005 and that it was scheduled for a new evaluation in 2021 due to the increased amount of housing and construction projects in the area.[29][30]

Several experts and engineers later criticized the Norwegian national government as well as local government for not taking high-risk areas seriously and allowing housing projects to continue despite having "clear instructions of how to deal with these areas for over fifty years."[31]

Reactions

Prime Minister Erna Solberg visited the affected area on 31 December 2020, and King Harald V dedicated parts of his New Year's Speech to those affected by the disaster.

The King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, also publicly expressed his sympathies the following day.[32] The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister Sanna Marin also expressed their condolences to the Norwegian government and people.[33]

On 3 January 2021, King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon visited the disaster area to speak with rescuers, volunteers, evacuees and their relatives.[34][35]

See also

References
  1. Krantz, Andreas (3 January 2021). "Sju personer bekreftet omkommet etter skredet i Gjerdrum" [Seven people confirmed dead after the landslide in Gjerdrum]. NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. Berge, Jørgen; Lilleås, Heidi Schei; Bjerke, Siv Elisabeth (4 January 2021). "Facebook-melding viser gravearbeid før rasulykken. Ekspert: - For tidlig å si om det hadde betydning" [Facebook message shows excavation work before the landslide accident. Expert: - Too early to say if it mattered]. Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  3. Holmsen, Gunnar (1929). "Lerfaldene ved Kokstad, Gretnes og Braa" [The clay falls at Kokstad, Gretnes and Braa]. Norges geologiske undersøkelse nr. 132. Oslo: I kommisjon hos H. Aschehoug. Chapter "Lerfaldet ved Kokstad i Gjerdrum" (pp. 3–15).
  4. Rud, Ole (1982). "II Istida og perioden etter den". Lokalhistorie for skole og heim i Gjerdrum [Local history for school and home in Gjerdrum]. Lions Club. pp. 18–19. ISBN 8299089905.
  5. Kirkeby, Birger (1974). Gjerdrum bygdebok. 3 : Bygdehistorie : Gjerdrums historie fra de eldste tider til ca. 1550 [Gjerdrum village book. 3: Village history: Gjerdrum's history from the oldest times to approx. 1550]. Kommunen. pp. 20–21, 76.
  6. Bjørn (65) i skred-drama i Gjerdrum for 40 år siden: − Rygget så fort jeg maktet tr. Bjørn (65) in avalanche drama in Gjerdrum 40 years ago: - Backed as fast as I could www.vg.no, accessed 10 January 2021
  7. "Det mindre skredet i 1980 gikk nær sørenden av dagens rasområde, ifølge entreprenøren" tr. The minor landslide in 1980 went near the southern end of today's landslide area, according to the contractor www.vg.no
  8. Ordførerens barndomshjem tatt av skred i 2012 (tr. The mayor's childhood home taken by landslides in 2012) "Aller først raste et industribygg som lå nedenfor huset til Østensen. Bygget som huset et gulvbeleggfirma ble fullstendig jevnet med jorden søndag 20. mai. Etter noen dager raste også huset til Østensen som lå på toppen av kollen som raste ut. – Deler av huset raste ut og resten ble senere revet, sier han. [...] – Fant man årsaken til raset i 2012? – Det hadde blitt utført gravearbeid i forbindelse med utbygging av et industribygg. Gravingen skal ha eksponert en kvikkleireforekomst som skal ha utløst raset, sier han." www.vg.no, accessed 6 January 2021
  9. "Myrabø, som i kraft av sin profesjon som hydrogeolog og hydrolog er ekspert på området, varslet den gang Gjerdrum kommune, og Romerikes Blad skrev om saken i juli samme år. «Jorda renner bort og han er bekymret for skred», het det i vår reportasje for 12 og et halvt år siden. Myrabø krevde på vegne av foreningen stans i arbeidene og det ble fremmet forslag til tiltak i Nystulia, ifølge Myrabø til liten eller ingen nytte." www.nettavisen.no
  10. "Body found in rubble as rescuers search for nine people missing after Norway landslide". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  11. "Her gikk raset før jul (Here went the landslide before Christmas)". Dagbladet. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  12. Norway landslide: Houses buried in Gjerdrum village near Oslo 31 December 2020 www.bbc.com accessed 2 January 2021
  13. "Har fortsatt håp om å finne overlevende i live – sender inn svensk kriseteam til skredområdet" [Still has hope of finding survivors alive – sends Swedish crisis team to the landslide area]. www.dagsavisen.no.
  14. "Svenske redningsstyrker har dratt hjem fra Gjerdrum – VG Nå: Skredet i Gjerdrum" [Swedish rescue forces have returned home from Gjerdrum – VG Now: The landslide in Gjerdrum]. VG Nå.
  15. Norway landslide: Second body found as rescuers search Gjerdrum site www.bbc.com accessed 2 January 2021
  16. "Nok en person funnet omkommet i Gjerdrum" [Another person found dead in Gjerdrum]. www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  17. Nikel, David (4 January 2021). "Norway Landslide: Everything We Know So Far".
  18. Olsen, Jan M. (5 January 2021). "Rescuers in Norway lose hope of finding landslide survivors". ABC News.
  19. Den første videoen fra Gjerdrum-skredet tr. The first video from the Gjerdrum landslide January 6th 2021 www.youtube.com, accessed 10 January 2021
  20. NRK: Dette er de savnede og omkomne (tr. "These are the missing and dead"), accessed January 4, 2021
  21. Missing people presumed dead after Norway landslide, police chief says 6 January 2021 www.reuters.com, accessed 10 January 2021
  22. HV: - Kommunen bestemmer behovet (tr. HV: - The municipality decides the need) 7 January 2021 forsvaretsforum.no, accessed 10 January 2021
  23. https://forsvaretsforum.no/gjerdrum-heimevernet/neste-gang-hv-soldatene-motes-haper-de-at-det-er-pa-ovelse/177331
  24. https://www.nationen.no/nyhet/sivilforsvaret-trekker-seg-ut-fra-gjerdrum/
  25. https://www.nrk.no/osloogviken/skredet-i-gjerdrum_-sok-gjenopptas-1.15332185
  26. https://www.nrk.no/osloogviken/har-funnet-to-dode-personer-etter-skredet-i-gjerdrum-1.15366478
  27. https://www.uasnorway.no/170-flyvninger-70-timer-i-lufta-og-24000-bilder/
  28. "Clothes and Toys Donated Following Deadly Norway Landslide". uk.news.yahoo.com.
  29. Hagen, John Rasmussen, Angelica (1 January 2021). "Planla ny kartlegging av kvikkleira i Ask i 2021" [Plan a new survey of quick clay in Ask in 2021]. dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  30. "Skredområdet beskrevet som "høyrisiko" i rapport fra 2005" [The landslide area described as "high risk" in a report from 2005]. www.vg.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  31. "Kunne denne katastrofen vært forhindret?" [Could this disaster have been prevented?]. www.aftenposten.no.
  32. Telegram till Konungen av Norge tr. "Telegram to the King of Norway" 1 January 2021 www.kungahuset.se, accessed 2 January 2021
  33. "Norjan maanvyöryssä edelleen kateissa kymmenkunta ihmistä ja toivo eloonjääneiden löytymisestä hiipuu – Uuden halkeaman vuoksi evakuoitiin 46 ihmistä" [A dozen people still missing in the Norwegian landslide and hopes of finding survivors wane – 46 people evacuated due to new fissure]. www.aamulehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  34. "Norway's royal family on site in Gjerdrum to meet rescue workers and evacuees". nord.news. 3 January 2021.
  35. NTB, Hanna Reppen Kvikstad (3 January 2021). "Preget kongepar om skredkatastrofen: – Det er helt forferdelig". Nettavisen.
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