Amid Landslide's Destruction, a Piece of Joy

Healthy Dalmatian rescued from the rubble in Norway
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 5, 2021 7:25 AM CST
Days After Landslide, a Joyful Discovery
Rescue work continues after the large landslide that destroyed several houses at Ask in Norway, on Tuesday.   (Terje Pedersen / NTB via AP)

Three people remain missing after the worst landslide in modern Norwegian history, which has so far killed seven, but there is a sign of hope. Late Monday, six days after the landslide took out nine buildings containing more than 30 apartments, leaving a 2,300-foot-long and 1,000-foot-wide ravine in the village of Ask, rescuers uncovered a dog "in good condition," a police rep tells Sky News. The AP, however, describes a Dalmatian found no later than Sunday. "It is a joy for us and gives motivation to further work hard," rescuer Goeran Syversen says, per Sky. Rescuers have been using dogs and heat-detecting technology to search the mass of rubble amid below-freezing temperatures.

Seven bodies have been found in recent days, including those of a couple and their 2-year-old daughter, per the New York Times. "I'm having trouble finding something to say, because it's absolutely horrible," King Harald V said Sunday as he joined Queen Sonja in visiting first responders and survivors in Ask. Another 10 people were injured in the disaster. Experts suggest the slide was triggered by the area's "quick clay," which can quickly turn liquid. Authorities had warned about building in such a "high-risk zone" in 2005, per Sky. But developers say they took precautions recommended by independent researchers, including "removing soil from higher ground to reduce loads on clay terrain," per the Times. (More uplifting news stories.)

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