An explosion at the US embassy in Oslo caused minor damage, with Norwegian police deploying significant resources to hunt for those responsible.
OSLO: An explosion rocked the entrance to the US embassy’s consular section in the early hours of Sunday, causing minor material damage but no injuries according to police in the Norwegian capital.
The blast occurred around 1:00 am local time at the diplomatic mission, with its cause not immediately known as authorities launched a major investigation and search for the perpetrators.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called the incident “unacceptable” in a statement, confirming he and Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen had been in contact with US embassy charge d’affaires Eric Meyer.
The Norwegian Security Service (PST) called in extra staff to assist police with the investigation, though spokesman Martin Bernsen stressed there had been “no change” to the country’s threat assessment level.
Media images showed shattered glass in the snow outside the consular entrance, cracks in a thick glass door, and black marks on the ground presumably from the blast.
Investigators examined the scene overnight using dogs, drones, and helicopters to search for one or more potential perpetrators, according to Oslo police.
Police commander Michael Dellemyr told TV2 that authorities “have an idea of the cause” and that “it appears to us that this is an act carried out by someone”, though he declined to comment on specifics.
Dellemyr also stated there was no indication yet that the incident was connected to international conflicts, despite recent high alerts at US embassies in the Middle East.
Residents near the embassy described hearing the explosion, with a 16-year-old named Edvard telling TV2 he saw “a ton of police” with dogs, drones, automatic weapons, and helicopters after the blast.
A group of friends waiting for a taxi nearby told TV2 they felt three ‘bangs’ that made the ground shake, later driving past to see the street covered in a strange, thick blanket of smoke.
Police declared the area around the building safe several hours after the blast, urging the public to report any tips or unusual observations from the area between midnight and 2:00 am.
