All News Killed in Norway Island


Oslo explosion: as it happened July 22

All the developments on July 22 after a huge explosion in Oslo, Norway leaves seven dead, before a gunman opens fire at a youth camp west of Oslo, with up to 84 dead.

A women walks to get help after she is injured in the explosion
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A women walks to get help after she is injured in the explosion in Oslo Photo: REX
By Chris Irvine
8:25AM BST 23 Jul 2011
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• Shooter is Norwegian, says Justice minister
• Seven dead in bomb blast in Oslo
• Police says at least nine killed in youth camp shooting
• Prime Minister had been due to attend rally there but pulled out
• One man arrested, believed to be connected to both incidents
• Concerned relatives should call             004723132700      .
22.21 That's it from us for tonight. Check back in in the morning for the latest developments.
21.54 PM: "I'm horrified at them attacking the youth camp, it's a brutal attack on innocent people."
21.51 Justice Minister says he is not aware of any warnings given by the attacker
21.49 The Prime Minister:
QuoteOur answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of violence. At the same time we shouldn't be naive, we should understand that violence can attack our society - we've seen that today."
21.46 The Justice Minister added that seven people were killed in the bombings and 10 seriously injured. He said "several" youths were killed in the shooting and several more were missing. He urged to people to stay out of down town Oslo and to avoid using their mobiles.
21.45 The Justice Minister has just said the shooter at the camp is a Norwegian.
21.39 Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg says Norway will "never stop standing up for our values"
QuoteI have a message to the person who attacked us and the people who are behind it: You're not going to destroy us. You're not destroying our democracy and our work for a better world. We're a small country but a very proud country. No one can bomb us to be quiet. No one can shoot us to be quiet no one can ever scare us from being Norway."
21.34 We're expecting a live news conference from the Norwegian prime minister in the next half hour or so and will bring that you as soon as we get it.
21.24 Some footage of the scale of the destruction in Oslo
21.19 BBC is quoting Acting Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim in Oslo as saying that the shooter was spotted in Oslo prior to the explosions.
20.59 AP is now reporting that Oslo police say nine or 10 people were killed at the youth camp.
20.50 Jonas Gahr Store, the country's foreign minister, is on BBC News. He says the young people on the island were 15-20 years old and are the country's "finest".
QuoteNorway is today dealing with a double attack on its democracy, its government buildings and its finest youth. There's no more important task than for us to preserve these values and honour our young people."
He says that he has been told the island shooter was Nordic and says that the government will continue to function despite the heavy damage to its administrative buildings in the capital.
20.47 Associated Press reports that police are saying there may have been more than one bomb involved in the Oslo explosion.
20.46 Oslo's mayor Fabian Stang said that the capital was struggling to come to terms with the idea that it had joined the list of cities targeted by bombers.
"Today we think about those people living in New York and London who have experienced this kind of thing," he told Sky News.
"Living without any sympthy for other people, for me, it's impossible to understand.
"I do not think it is possible for us to understand what has happened today but hopefully we will be able to go on and that tomorrow Oslo will be a peaceful city again."
20.39 Police are now confirming that at least nine people have been killed in the island shooting
20.34 Full statement from the Prime Minister:
OpinionI was outraged to hear about the explosion in Oslo and attack in Utoya today that have killed and injured innocent people.
"My thoughts are with the wounded and those who have lost friends and family, and I know everyone in Britain will feel the same.
"These attacks are a stark reminder of the threat we all face from terrorism.
"I have called Prime Minister Stoltenberg this evening to express my sincere condolences and to let him know that our thoughts are with the Norwegian people at this tragic time. I have offered Britain’s help, including through our close intelligence cooperation. We will work with Norway to hunt the murderers who did this and prevent any more innocent deaths.
"We can overcome this evil, and we will."
20.31 David Cameron has said: "We will work with Norway to hunt the murderers who did this."
We'll bring the full statement when we get it.
20.22 Marcus Oscarsson emails that Sweden has raised the security around the Government Offices in Stockholm and other key buildings in the Swedish capital. The Norwegian PM Mr Stolenberg stressed in Norwegian State TV recently that it is not known who is behind the attacks. Norway is eager to point out that it is possible that it is not Islamists.
20.21 Still some confusion as to whether the bomb in Oslo was inside a car or inside a building.
20.19 Rune Thomas-Ege, a journalist for VG Nett, Tweets that ambulances are on the docks close to the lake surrounding Utoya. Paramedics are still working to save lives and treat injured.
Making our way along the lake. AF helis over Utøya. Ambulances still making their way in. None in opposite direction #osloexplless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone  Favorite  Retweet ReplyRune Thomas Ege
rtege
20.01 Nicolas Sarkozy has now joined in the international indignation over the bombing, describing the events in Oslo as an "odious and unacceptable act".
20.00 @ketilbstensrud claims police have opened th road leading to Utoya for relatives. Norwegian authorities have also asked for anyone with blood type 0 to report to nearest hospital.
Latest: Police have opened the road leading to Utøya for relatives. Frenetic level of activity.less than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyKetil B. Stensrud
ketilbstensrud
19.55 Mark Hughes, the Telegraph's Crime Correspondent writes that secret cables from WikiLeaks reveal that Norway's intelligence service had previously been criticised for its failure to keep track of suspected terror cells and the country was considered complacent about the prospect of an attack.
19.48 Police have said they have "arrested the assailant, and we believe that he's connected to both the bombings in Oslo and the shootings."
19.47 An eyewitness has told Norwegian state broadcaster NRK that he saw 20 to 25 bodies at the youth camp.
Andre Scheie said: "There are very many dead byt he shore... there are about 20-25 dead.
19.45 Emilie Bersaas, 19, who was on Utoya, said she had been hiding in fear under her bed, with a mattress barricading the door, for more than two hours as she head the gunman go on the rampage. Speaking to Sky News, she said:
The shooting was happening in all different directions.
I was hiding under my bed. It was terrifying. At one point the shooting was very close and I could hear the bullets hitting our building.
The people in the next room started screaming a lot. It worried me. There are a lot of people I don’t know about.
The police have told us to stay in this (other) building for the moment. I look forward to getting off the island.
 19.42 The Telegraph's Adrian Blomfield, normally our Middle East expert, but in London right now and helping us with the unfolding events in Norway, has spoken to Hadja Tajik, an MP with Norway's ruling Labour party.
She told him that some of those on the island were as young as 15. More than 600 youth activists attended this year's annual summer camp she said. Miss Tajik was on the island this morning along with Gro Harlem Brundtland, with three-time former Labour prime minister. She was coming back with Ms Brundtland from Utoya when the Oslo bomb struck.
She confirmed reports some youngsters leap into the fjord and tried to swim to safety, while others hid behind bushes.
QuoteRight now there is a sense of silence and waiting as people wait for information on who was behind (the two attacks).
But there is also a sense of community, a sense of sticking together in difficult times. We know that this day and what happened on it has changed Norway, but we don’t yet know in what way. But however it changes Norway, it will not change our will to defend democracy and to defend our democratic institutions.
19.37 Police have released an official statement, via their website, that they believe the two attacks are linked.
QuoteAfter the explosions in Oslo, there are seven people dead and two severely injured.
The police have every reason to believe that there is a connection between the explosions and incident on Utoya. There is reason to believe that there are explosives on Utoya.
All resources in the Osla area are being used.
19.35 Some of images coming through from Oslo are truly horrific. Apologies to anyone distressed by the following photograph:
A women walks to get help after she is injured in the explosion in Oslo
19.32 The Foreign Office has said concerned relatives should call            004723132700      .
19.29 Jane Owen has said there around 25-30,000 British expats in Norway.
19.28 The first reported photograph from Utoya is emerging, although it has not been confirmed it is legitimate. Although it is a bit unclear, the image would suggest bodies strewn on the beach and in the water.
First photo from Utøya: http://t.co/CsSCU5Yless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyKetil B. Stensrud
ketilbstensrud
19.26 Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian prime minister, has said he has called a crisis meeting of his government this evening after the bombings, that will be attended by "several ministers". He will also be meeting the leaders of the main political parties on Saturday. His whereabouts are still unknown.
19.23 Latest eyewitness reports, via Twitter, on NRK claim that 20-30 dead youths could be seen floating by the shore.
LATEST: This eye-witness was assisting police by evacuating youths in his boat. Apparently, he could count 20-30 people shot dead. Awful.less than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyKetil B. Stensrud
ketilbstensrud
19.23 US President Barack Obama has said the events in Oslo are "a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring."
QuoteThere has been a bombing in Oslo, Norway as well as a shooting there. We don't have information yet, but I wanted to personally extend my condolences to the people of Norway.
And it's a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring and that we have to work cooperatively together both on intelligence and in terms of prevention of these kinds of horrible attacks.
I remember fondly my visit to Oslo and how warmly the people of Norway treated me, so our hearts go out to them and we will provide any support we can to them as they investigate these occurrences.
19.19 Milana Knezevic, 21, from Oslo, who is studying in Britain, told The Telegraph she was in the building next door to where the bomb exploded.
Miss Knezevic, who is studying politics and international relations at the University of York, was working as an intern at the Vart Land daily newspaper on the top floor of the building when the blast occurred.
QuoteAll of a sudden we heard this loud explosion.
I looked around and I could see the building start to ‘fall apart’. There was smoke everywhere.
Then our entire building started shaking and the glass windows in our building shattered and we were all covered in glass. It felt like it was an earthquake.
You could smell the smoke, it was so strong.
It was terrifying. We all rushed out of the building but there was no panic. We got out so quickly when we got outside there was confusion as to what had happened.
Then the police came up and told as to get out. So we started running.
19.17 Simen Braende Mortensen, a guard on the boat to Utoya Island, has told VG that he saw a man in a police uniform and bulletproof vest drive on to the boat in a silver van. He showed his identification, told them that he was sent to check security, which was routine during the terrorist attack. Once the boat was over to the island, it took a few minutes, they heard shooting. The man apparently had a pistol and a rifle with telescopic sight.
QuoteHe had a Norwegian look and spoke in a common eastern dialect. I'm not that good at estimating the age of people, but assume that he was 30 or 40-year-old.
19.11 Here are some key facts about Norway for those who want to know:
- Norway is one of the world's biggest oil and gas producers and its population of 4.9 million benefit from a generous welfare system.
- Oslo is one of the world's most expensive cities and Greater Oslo has a population of 1.4 million, making it the fastest growing city in Europe because of increased immigration.
- NATO member Norway has previously been the target of threats, but not bombs, notably over its involvement in conflicts in Afghanistan and Libya. Political violence is virtually unknown in the country.
- Norway has played a key mediating role in the Middle East peace process, broking the Oslo Accords. It also brokered a 2002 ceasefire between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka and in 2005 it helped hammer out a peace deal between north and south Sudan.
19.08 Will McCants is now backtracking on Twitter on his earlier claims that Helpers of Global Jihad are behind the Oslo attack.
"Helpers of Global Jihad" now says its claim is not the official claim and it had nothing to do w/ operation. Says wait for official claim.less than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyWill McCants
will_mccants
19.06 Jane Owen, the British Ambassador to Norway, tells the BBC that the prime minister's whereabouts are not being released, but he is safe. The embassy is trying to establish whether there are any Brits in need of assistance. She said she felt the blast but her residence is about two or three miles from Oslo.
QuoteAs far as I know there was no additional warning or rise in the threat level, but Norway, like the UK, has to be constantly vigiliant against terrorism.
19.00 London-based Exclusive Analysis risk consultancy said the man in the Utoya incident apparently infiltrated the party gathering on the pretence that he had been sent by police as a security measure in the wake of the Oslo explosion.
QuoteAs such, it is likely he was ethnically Norwegian. This could indicate the involvement of a far-right group rather than an Islamist group, though it is also the case that the Labour Party would be a favourable target for Islamist groups due to its role in authorising Norwegian military deployments in Afghanistan.
18.56 Rune Håkonsen, Tweets that the shooter at Utoya tried to lure the youths to him before he began shooting. Courtesy of Radio P1 speaking to eyewitnesses. He also says TV2 is reporting that the arrested man called the police before the arrest.
TV2 reports that the arrested man called the police before the arrest. TV2.no now. #whys#osloexplless than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyRune Håkonsen
runehak
Video18.52 Footage of the emergency services surveying the damaged government building and police saying they had found no evidence of any further bombs in the area
18.51 Eric Carlson, the medical director in charge at Oslo University Hospital has told the BBC that his hospital has received 11 casualties. He speculated that the "walking wounded" might be in the region of about 100.
18.50 The EU and Nato have strongly condemned the bombing attack.Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato secretary-general, called it a "heinous act", while Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, expressed his "utmost shock" over the blast.
18.47 Norwegian police are now saying that they believe the explosion in Oslo and the shooting Utoya are linked.
18.45 Twitter user @finansakrobat has said that the person arrested in Utoya was reportedly Blonde and 'Norwegian-looking'.
The person arrested was reportedly 6ft3in- abt 190cm tall. Blonde and 'norwegian-looking'less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone  Favorite  Retweet Reply-
finansakrobat
18.41 A Foreign Office spokesman has confirmed to The Telegraph that there are no reports of any Britons killed, injured or missing in Norway at present. Jane Owen, Britain's ambassador is in Oslo liasing with local authorities.
18.40 Police are now saying they fear there may be explosives at the Labour Party Youth Camp. They have also said they are now looking for any links between the two incidents (Oslo and Utoya).
18.37 Reuters has updated the death count in Oslo. Police are now saying seven people were killed, two badly wounded. Witnesses have also said several army soldiers have taken position around central Oslo.
18.32 More from William Hague. The official Foreign Office statement from the Foreign Secretary:
QuoteI send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost relatives or been injured in today’s horrific bomb blast in Oslo.
Our Embassy stands ready to provide assistance to any British nationals who may have been caught up in the attack.
We condemn all acts of terrorism. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Norway and all our international allies in the face of such atrocities. We are committed to work tirelessly with them to combat the threat from terrorism in all its forms.
PICTURES18.30 The Telegraph has put together a picture gallery of the Oslo explosion. What comes across is the devastation caused by the blast. Oslo looks like a ghost town.
18.28 William Hague, the Foreign Secretary has condemned the "horrific attacks" in Oslo.
Horrific attacks in Oslo - we condemn all acts of terrorism and will stand shoulder to shoulder with Norway in the face of such atrocities.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone  Favorite  Retweet ReplyWilliam Hague
WilliamJHague
18.26 Ketil B Stensrud, a freelance journalist says that the worst thing about the incident on Utoya is the gunman would only get 21 years sentence by Norwegian law.
Worst thing is that the Utøya gunman can only get a maximum 21 years sentence by Norwegian law.less than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyKetil B. Stensrud
ketilbstensrud
18.25 Norwegian television is reporting "several people" have been killed in the Utoya attack.
18.24 Brian Paddick, the British politician and former Deputy Assistant Commissioner to the Metropolitan police, as well as a regular visitor to Norway, has told the BBC that it is a standing joke in Oslo that the only building with any sort of anti-terror protection is the US Embassy.
18.21 Police have confirmed to NRK that one person has been arrested on Utoya. Link is in Norwegian.
18.15 The gunman in the shooting on Utoya Island has now reportedly been arrested.
And here is a picture of the island itself:
Utoya Island, scene of the shooting
Video18.12 Some more video from YouTube, via The Telegraph:
18.10 For a bit more on the summer camp at Utoya, read here. It runs from July 20 until 24, and is about 50 minutes by bus from Oslo.
18.03 Will McCants now says that Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (Helpers of Global Jihad) seem to make a claim of responsibility. They claim it is in response to the occupation of Afghanistan and insults to the Prophet Mohammed. It has come via Shmukh, an elite jihadi forum
"We have warned since the Stockholm raid of more operations & we have demanded that the countries of Europe withdraw from..." #osloless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyWill McCants
will_mccants
18.00 For some geographical perspective, here is a map of Norway, Oslo and Utoya Island
A Map of Norway to the left and then one of Oslo, with Utoya Island circled to the north-west
17.55 Aftonbladet is reporting that teenagers on Utoya Island have barricaded themselves inside while the gunman was firing. Lisa Irene Johansen Aasbo, international officer of the county board of Rogaland AUF said:
QuoteHe wore police uniform, with shooting vest and shot. There was complete panic.
We were in the great hall when the shooting began, and all cried out.
Lars Vidar Brende, director of Ragland, AUF, said in a text message to the newspaper
QuoteBarricaded ourselves inside. Men in police uniforms shoot. Waiting for the police.
17.51 The US State Department has condemned the "despicable" blast that tore through the government buildings in Oslo. Heide Bronke Fulton, a state department spokesman said:
QuoteWe condemn these despicable acts of violence. Our hearts are with the victims and their families, and we have reached out to the Norwegian government to express our condolences.
17.50 For a history of militant attacks in Europe, ranging from the Madrid Bombings in 2004 to July 7 in London, read here.
17.49 Ben Farmer, The Telegraph's Afghanistan correspondent has written about Norway's presence in Afghanistan. 10 Norwegian soldiers have died in the campaign so - half of them in 2010.
 Norway has 406 soldiers in Afghanistan, making it the 17th biggest troop contributing nation of the 48 coalition allies.
The country’s troops are based in the northern province of Faryab which is on the Turkmenistan border.
Faryab is far from the Taliban’s southern heartlands and was peaceful for the early years of the Nato campaign.
However security has deteriorated in recent years, along with much of northern Afghanistan, as the insurgency has widened.
Troops sent seven years ago on what the Norwegian public was told would be a humanitarian mission have instead found themselves dealing with greater levels of insurgent violence.
17.45 More on reports that Mr Stoltenberg was due to appear at the meeting on Utoya Island. The BBC has been told that Mr Stoltenberg was in fact due to speak tomorrow. Former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland was the key speaker today.
17.42 Everyone has been asked to leave Oslo city centre and go home.
17.40 Rune Hakonsen, who works with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp, has claimed that there are multiple dead confirmed inside government buildings in the Oslo city centre.
Multiple dead confirmed inside goverment buidlings in centre of Oslo, no numbers from police yet. #osloexpl #whysless than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyRune Håkonsen
runehak
17.39 AFP is reporting that Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister, had at one point been scheduled to attend the event on Utoya Island (the rally was for his Labour party), but he did not go for some reason.
17.36 Meanwhile back in Oslo, police have now let the press within reasonable sight of the scene. Harald Klungtveit, a reporter for Dagbladet said:
QuoteThe entire part of the block where the Prime Minister is situated is smashed. The bullet proof windows are not ruined, but parts of the fascade are.
The are still a lot of ambulance staff on the spot, and large numbers of firemen. There is at least one dead person inside the area.
QuoteAnother Dagbladet journalist, Anne Marte Blindheim, reports:
It looks like a war zone. It doesn't look as if one is in Norway. The top block and all the windows are ruined. The whole entrance area is crushed.
There are wrecked parts hanging out the windows. There is blood and case documents all around and crushed cars. A car is laying on the side, completely burnt out.
17.33 People are reportedly phoning from Utoya saying they are benig shot at. Multiple ambulances being sent to the site. The alleged shooter was dressed as a police officer. He travelled on a boat to the island in the uniform and when he arrived he started shooting with a handgun, according to reports. Unconfirmed reports of four dead.
17.31 Andrew Ward, the Financial Times' correspondent in Stockholm has more in the attack on Utoya. The event was being attended by up to 700 youths aged 14-25 attending the camp. Eyewitnesses are hearing "many, many, many" gunshots.
6-700 youths aged 14-25 attending camp on island of Utøya. Eyewitness on nearby shore reports hearing "many, many, many" gunshots#Norwayless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyAndrew Ward
andrew_ward1
Facebook17.30 A Facebook group has been set up for people to report that they are safe.
17.28 Sky News is reporting that people are apparently swimming of Utoya Island to try and get to safety.
17.26 Gisli Olafsson, Tweets that there are now reports the offices of Aftenposten being evacuated due to a bomb scare.
The offices of Aftenposten being evacuated due to a bomb scare #oslo #osloexplless than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyGisli Olafsson
gislio
17.22 Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister, has given a telephone interview to show that he was unharmed after the deadly blast near his office in Oslo
QuoteEven if one is well prepared, it is always rather dramatic when something like this happens
17.19 Police in Norway are also now dealing with a gunman shooting at people in a political youth camp on Utoya Island. Utoya Island is roughly 20 miles north-west of Oslo.
Police reports suggest that a man disguised as a police officer began opening fire.
17.15 Some more eyewitness reports from Brits in Oslo. Craig Barnes has tried to compare Oslo to a city or town in the UK and has said it is similar in size to Blackpool
QuoteI knew straight away that it was a terrorist bomb so I just got out as quickly as possible thinking there could be another bomb going off. I’m still shaking now.
Oslo is a city but it’s a small town compared to the UK. You’re looking at probably the centre of Blackpool, that’s what Oslo is. Everybody would have felt that bomb or heard it. That’s how powerful it was.
17.12 Reuters has posted a handy piece about Islamist militant groups with a record of links to plots in Europe. As well as al-Qaeda, there is also the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Intelligence sources earlier this month said there was a plot against European targets reportedly originating with a group in northern Pakistan. Other groups mentioned are Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Shabaab, Tehrik-e-Taliban and AQIM.
17.07 In a press conference on the spot, police said that they received messages that a large car drove up against the building immediately before the explosion.
QuoteWe are approaching this successfully. The bomb squad are working their way through the rooms and the fire service follow to put out fires. The searching is still on. We do not have figures on the amount of injured or dead.
We have received messages that a large car has driven up against the building straight before (the explosion). That car is not there now. A lot of investigating remains.
17.06 Dr John Gearson, a reader in terrorism studies at King's College, London has said that the bomb was likely an improvised explosive device using "commercially available products such as fertilizer".
QuoteGenerally these devices are put on flatbed pickups, small vans or even trucks. It looks to me that the source of the explosion was outside the buildings and not within them so they haven’t been structurally brought down.
It probably takes a bit more than the lone wolf capability to carry out this sort of attack.
17.02 The Daily Telegraph's Andrew Hough has been speaking Oddbjorn By, a local, who says people suspect al-Qaeda are behind the attacks. The author said he had worked from home in a sheer stroke of good fortune, because of the bad weather.
He described how he felt the massive blast just a few miles away, which caused his house to violently shake.
QuoteI felt this giant explosion and the house started to shake really badly.
I was about five km away and it was very powerful.
There is chaos now as all the roads into the city centre have been closed by police.
People are really frightened.”
17.01 More from Will McCants. He is now saying forum members are discussing the arrest of three suspects following a car chase.
forum members now talking about a car chase and the arrest of three suspects. #osloblast #osloless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyWill McCants
will_mccants
17.00 As reported earlier, Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian prime minister was unhurt. His spokesman has confirmed that he was "working from home today".
16.57 More on the TV2 offices being evacuated - because a suspicious bag was found.
16.53 Egil Vrekke, Assistant Chief Constable, Oslo Police confirms that there are two casualties. He would not confirm if the bomb was planted in a vehicle. He added that the rescue operation was ongoing and he did not know if anyone else was trapped. They are still searching buildings and evacuating people from the central area at the moment.
16.50 NRK is now reporting that police are searching for a bomb outside TV2 offices in Oslo. There are also reports that Norwegian TV2 offices in Oslo have been ordered to evacuated.
The reason is so far unknown but the location is away from the bomb site.
Norwegian TV2 offices in Oslo just been ordered to evacuate. Reason unknown but location is a bit away from the bomb-site.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplySvend Karlsen
svendleeds
16.45 Will McCants, who writes for Jihadica, a website that claims it is "documenting the Global Jihad", has claimed an "Amir Ghruzni" on a radical forum says the Oslo blast was a warning to the prime minister of Norway to withdraw troops from Khorasan. Khorasan is an historic region covering parts of Afghanistan among other countries.
Correct translation: "A warning 2 PM of Norway before u in last few moments so you will w/draw ur troops from grave of Khorasan."less than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyWill McCants
will_mccants
Video16.40 The Telegraph has put together a video of the aftermath of the explosion courtesty of Twitter users and YouTube. The scenes show lines of ambulances, broken glass, and utter bewilderment
16.36 Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister who is a prolific Tweeter,has expressed his solidarity with Norway.
He also said he was in quick contact with his Norwegian counterpart.
Terrorism has struck. Police confirms bomb in Oslo. We are all Norwegians.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPad  Favorite  Retweet ReplyCarl Bildt
carlbildt
16.32 Mike Emery, a British expat living in Norway who is director of an international NGO, has Tweeted that NRK is report a car has been surrounded at the airport.
He has also Tweeted unconfirmed reports that a black mercedes was seen leaving prior to the explosion.
NRK reporting that car surrounded at the airport#osloexplosionless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyMike Emery
mikeyemery
16.30 An Oslo University press officer tells Reuters:
QuoteSo far I can confirm that we have received seven people at Oslo University Hospital. I don't know how seriously wounded they are.
16.26 Images of a badly damaged car have dropped. Although it has not been confirmed this was the car that contained the bomb in question, the wreckage would suggest it was at the centre of the explosion or very nearby.
Images from BBC of a Blast near the Prime Ministers office
16.25 Hans Kristian Amundsen, a Norwegian government minister confirms to the BBC that the prime minister safe.
He says it is impossible enough to speculate what was the target. "We have to focus on the rescue operation", he says. He has said there are still people trapped in buildings but did not give further details. He said "many hundreds" of people could have been in the buildings.
16.24 A witness called Sylvio, who lives close to the centre of the explosions told the BBC he arrived on the scene less than three minutes after the intial blast.
QuoteI saw people being brought out of buldings unconscious and people lying unconsious on the floor on the. They could have been dead or alive I just don't know.
16.22 The Quilliam Foundation, the counter-extremism think tank based in London, Tweets that Norwegian newspapers reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed only last year. In fact, they linked to our own article from January 2010.
Major Norwegian newspapers reprinted the Danish Mohammed cartoons only last year. #Oslo#Norway #Oslobombing http://t.co/HP8hfUEless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyQuilliam
QuilliamF
16.19 Bevdin Azimov, told local media that the city was gripped by "panic" as authorities feared more explosions.
QuoteWhen I came to the place I saw a dead woman, and several were injured. I had taken the subway and came right up the street.
I did not know what to do, people ran from the place. Many were afraid a bomb would explode again.
The police came very quicklyhey also feared another explosion.
I got very scared.
16.16 Marcus Oscarsson writes:
Norwegian police fears more bombs will go off. A first police press conference will be held 5.30 PM Norwegian time (4.30 UK Time) at the Police Main Office in Oslo. At this point the police has only confirmed that “several are dead and several injured”.
“You can not walk here there are two more bombs but we do not know where”, police told reporters at the scene.
16.13 Photos uploaded on Twitter are now showing at least two bodies. Again, be warned, the photos are graphic.
Photos from Oslo appear to show at least 2 bodies (GRAPHIC): http://tinyurl.com/3hmsz7qand http://tinyurl.com/3pwh6gm (thanks @F4F1)less than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyMichael van Poppel
mpoppel
16.11 Will Heaven, Assistant Comment Editor and Deputy Editor of Telegraph Blogs, has asked the question everyone is thinking: is al-Qaeda behind this?
A year ago, three men were arrested in Oslo on suspicion of preparing terrorist attacks. At the time, Norway’s security service chief Janne Kristiansen said: “We believe this group has had links to people abroad who can be linked to al Qaeda, and to people who are involved in investigations in other countries, among others the United States and Britain.” As the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner notes, “[al-Qaeda's] AlZawahiri threatened Norway in 2007.”
16.10 Norwegian police have confirmed for the first time that the explosion was a bomb.
16.08 Olaf Furniss, a reporter in Oslo, has told the BBC:
QuoteThere was a huge blast. All the windows have been blown out from one of the main government buildings, it's a sort of big skyscraper.
And that's where the prime minister's office is, one of the main newspapers is based there, and a lot of other government buildings.
The whole area has been damaged, there's windows blown out in about a 1km radius, a lot of shock. And I can hear a lot of ambulance and police activity as well.
16.05 US government sources on the scene have told ABC News in the US that the explosion was the result of a massive vehicle bomb.
16.02 Marcus Oscarsson is now reporting that Norwegian State Television says two people are dead and a number are injured.
A disaster alarm has been sent to all doctors and nurses at Oslo’s main hospital. Many people are injured and the Norwegian polcie has now confirmed
The main bomb was place between the PM’s Office and the Ministry of Oil and Energy.
All the main streets to oslo have been closed.
16.00 Aftenposten.no has reportedly been told by police that there are still two bombs but they do not know where they are.
Video15.59 A video has been posted on Twitter of the aftermath of the explosion. You can watch it here.
15.51 Reports from NRK suggest that the explosion was caused by a car bomb parked outside the Norwegian Ministry of Justice. Locals have dismissed earlier suggestions that it was a gas explosion. They have said there is no gas network in central Oslo.
15.49 The Demotix news website has some particularly graphic photographs. They are here if you want to look, but be warned, they are a bit graphic.
Here are some more photographs coming through:
15.47 The BBC has picked up reports from Norwegian TV station that there has been at least one fatality after the explosion.
15.45 Military police are apparently aiding the wounded according to VG
#oslo Military police aiding wounded according tohttp://t.co/4GjKKlC - live stream from the scenehttp://t.co/rgVAj42 - in norwegianless than a minute ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyBirgitta Jónsdóttir
birgittaj
15.43 Ruarí Ødegaard, a 34-year-old expatriate Brit living in Oslo, whose wife is Norwegian, has told The Telegraph:
QuoteI'm still in my work office and people here seem pretty freaked out and are ringing around friends and relatives like mad.
Also I can heart quite a few police sirens even where I am.
The local media seem very confused.
One minute NRK (national media like BBC) reported two explosions and then a moment later they retracted. So far no reports of deaths just injuries by again no figures as to how many.
15.36 The Daily Telegraph's Martin Evans notes:
It is holiday time in Norway so many people would have been away on holiday. Locals are saying the streets are much quieter than there would have been at other times of the year.
15.30 Some eyewitness reports coming through now. Ole Tommy Pedersen, who was standing at a bus stop about 100 metres from the government headquarters, said he saw the blast shatter almost all windows of the 20-floor highrise. He said he saw a cloud of smoke billowing from the bottom floors. tells AP:
QuoteI saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later.
15.27 Alex Leo, New Product Manager at Reuters, has tweeted that Jarle Brenna, a VG Nett reporter was in the Oslo courthouse when the explosion happened. Click on the link for more but it's in Norwegian, so you'll need a translate button
VG Nett reporter Jarle Brenna was in Oslo courthouse when explosion happened. Reports mass confusion,ppl covered in bloodhttp://j.mp/qJt1n5less than a minute ago via TweetDeck  Favorite  Retweet  ReplyAlex Leo
AlexMLeo
15.24 Marcus Oscarsson, a journalist who covers Scandanavia, has suggested that the attacks may have had something to do with the drawings of the prophet Mohammed. No confirmation as of yet.
15.15 A bit more: apparently the offices of biggest Norwegian tabloid newspaper, VG, are also in the area - we think that's the building in the photo below. A journalist with the Norwegian public radio station NRK said:
QuoteI see that some windows of the VG building and the government headquarters have been broken. Some people covered with blood are lying in the street. There is glass everywhere. It is total chaos. The windows of the all the surrounding buildings have been blown out.
The BBC is now reporting "at least eight" injuries.
15.11 One building, believed to be oil ministry, is on fire. The Prime Minister's office is also in the area, but the PM himself, Jens Stoltenberg, is apparently safe.
15.08 Reuters reports 'several' injuries, while hundreds of windows have been shattered. The BBC quoted reports that the "twisted wreckage" of a car was seen near the source of the blast, but that is unconfirmed.
15.00 Good afternoon. A huge explosion has rocked government buildings in downtown Oslo. We'll be reporting the latest events as they happen.

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