US Embassy in Oslo Norway evacuated due to bomb scare
The U.S. Embassy in Norway was evacuated on Tuesday after its security staff found a suspicious object beneath a nearby automobile.
United States Embassy in Norway 2007 Photo: Chell Hill
Norwegian police said the embassy and the surrounding area, including the royal palace, were cleared of people in the heart of Norway’s capital, and that a bomb squad with sniffer dogs was dispatched there.
“It’s a large area – around 500 meters surrounding the embassy,” said police spokesman Martin Todnem, adding that police received a call from embassy security staff.
Embassy staff reported that they had spotted a suspicious object under a nearby car,” Todnem said. “The bomb squad is on site, but we have not received any feedback from them yet.”
The Royal Family is not at the palace, said communications manager Marianne Hagen to NTB.
“We have evacuated the visitors at the palace because the Queen open park is blocked off,” she said. “The employees at the palace have not however been evacuated, but are considered to be safe,” she added.
The NTB news agency reported that visitors to the royal place, the residence of the nation’s monarch, were also cleared, but that its staff members remained there. The royal family was not in the palace at the time, the agency reported.
