Norway police and emergency services responded to six separate serious incidents across the country on a single Thursday night, including a deadly workplace accident and children playing on train tracks. The events stretched from Bergen to Stad and involved multiple agencies.
Children Intercepted on Live Railway
The series of responses began Thursday evening when police rushed to Arna station after a report that children were playing on the railway track. Operations leader Knut Dahl-Michelsen with the West Police District confirmed the incident. “There were three children running on the track, they were aged 11-12,” Dahl-Michelsen said. Officers made contact with the three children and gave them a serious talk about the dangers. The parents of the children were notified and reportedly came to collect them. The incident highlighted the ongoing risks at railway infrastructure, where trespassing can have fatal consequences. Police did not specify how the children accessed the secured area.
Tunnel Scare and Indecent Exposure Report
Elsewhere in Bergen, the fire department was dispatched after a fire alarm was triggered in a technical room linked to the Fyllingsdal tunnel. The pedestrian and cycle tunnel between Kristianborg and Oasen was closed as a precaution. At 11:26 PM, police, who also attended, reported that the fire service mentioned smoke in the tunnel. The fire service later corrected this to “mist.” By 11:45 PM, they had located the room where the alarm originated and confirmed there was no smoke or fire. Stian Kvam at the 110 emergency center said they did not know where the mist came from, but noted it was odorless and could possibly be due to temperature differences. Separately, after 9:00 PM Thursday, a man in his 50s was reported for exposing himself to passengers on the Bybanen light rail at Nesttun. Police met the targeted tram at Danmarks plass and spoke with a suspect matching the description. After contact, they decided to arrest the man and take him to custody. “There were several people on the Bybanen who witnessed the man displaying his penis to everyone,” said operations leader Knut Dahl-Michelsen. He also confirmed there were several minors who saw the act.
Fatal Workplace Accident in Gjødseltank
In a tragic incident in Bryggja in Stad municipality, a man in his 60s was found dead in a manure tank. Police were notified at 4:12 PM and are conducting investigations at the scene. The man was found by a family member, according to operations leader Knut Dahl-Michelsen. “The deceased had been performing work in the manure tank for someone in the family and police are handling the incident as a work accident,” Dahl-Michelsen stated. Police have opened a case, and the deceased will be autopsied. Next of kin have been notified. Work accidents in agricultural and confined spaces remain a significant safety concern in Norway, with strict regulations governing such environments.
Heightened Fire Preparedness
Amid these responses, The Directorate for Social Security and Preparedness (DSB) decided on Thursday afternoon to prepare two forest fire helicopters until February 8th. One of these helicopters was sent to Voss. The other was placed at Vigra. This preparedness measure is a routine seasonal precaution due to specific weather conditions, though it coincided with a busy night for emergency services. The deployment of such resources is a standard protocol to ensure rapid response capability to wildfires, even in winter months when risk factors can align.
A Night of Varied Emergency Response
The collection of incidents underscores the broad and unpredictable nature of emergency response work. Within a span of hours, police and fire services addressed public safety hazards, a tragic fatality, a criminal complaint, and a technical alarm. Each required specific protocols and resources. The police communications, largely coordinated through the West Police District's operations leader, provided a consistent thread of information. The incidents also occurred across both urban and rural settings, from a major city's light rail system to a rural farm in Stad. This variety tests the coordination and resource allocation of regional emergency services. No further links between the unrelated events were reported by authorities.
Aftermath and Ongoing Investigations
As Friday began, several investigations continued. Police are processing the case against the arrested man from the Bybanen incident. The workplace death in Stad will undergo further investigation following the autopsy to determine the exact cause. The tunnel at Fyllingsdal was reopened after the all-clear was given. The children involved in the railway incident are now with their families, having received a stern warning from police about the extreme danger of their actions. The DSB's helicopter preparedness remains active as planned. The series of events serves as a reminder of the constant operational demand on Norway's emergency services, who manage everything from minor alarms to life-threatening situations simultaneously, often with limited public visibility until multiple incidents converge in a short timeframe.