Norwegian Dam Collapses In Deadly Flooding
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
OSLO, NORWAY (Worthy News) – Norway’s prime minister warned his Nordic nation to prepare for more floods after a massive dam on a Norwegian river partly collapsed following heavy rain.
Wednesday’s collapse of the Braskereidfoss power dam on the Glomma River, Norway’s biggest waterway, sent water gushing through a wide gap in the structure.
The dam could not open its hatches after its control room flooded.
A woman in her 70s died on Wednesday after falling into a stream, and 700-800 people were evacuated from Innlandet, the district which also includes Braskereidfoss, officials said.
Norway evacuated over 3,000 people this week as rivers swelled to their highest levels in at least 50 years while homes and businesses were submerged or swept away by landslides.
“The next two to three days will be absolutely critical, and we’ll be mobilizing around the clock,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference.
Main roads, including around the capital Oslo were closed, and train services were suspended across vast parts of southern Norway as rivers breached their banks.
Authorities warned of more flooding to come in the days ahead as the water moves towards lower-lying coastal regions.
It comes after a powerful storm named Hans caused chaos across northern Europe recently. In Norway, river levels were due to continue rising into Thursday.
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