Between 300 and 400 people were evacuated Sunday evening after a major landslide hit the Carl Berner area in Oslo. The incident occurred around 5 PM local time. Over 200 of those displaced are students from local housing facilities.
Evacuees are currently housed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Alna. Many left their homes with only the clothes they were wearing. The student welfare organization SiO has promised 1,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately $95) in emergency support to affected students.
Several students told reporters the financial assistance is insufficient. Didrik Urberg Johannessen, who studies sign language interpretation, described the evacuation experience. "I just bought toothpaste and a toothbrush," he said. "That cost 100 kroner. So I have 900 left."
Johannessen witnessed the landslide from his third-floor apartment. "I felt shaking," he recalled. "Then I saw it falling toward me. It's difficult to look back on that feeling."
Many students face academic challenges without their belongings. Johannessen has an assignment due Friday but left his computer in his apartment. His lecturer might grant an extension since he cannot write the paper on his phone.
International student Sofia from Czechia expressed frustration. "It sucks," she said. "I'm missing everything. I've heard some people got a toothbrush here at the hotel, but I haven't."
Authorities currently prohibit residents from returning to retrieve items due to safety concerns. Only those with urgent needs like medications or travel documents can access their homes.
Henriette Tversland, a nursing student from Kristiansand, was home during the landslide. "I heard lots of noise," she said. "We got conflicting messages - first to stay inside, then to evacuate."
The 27-year-old misses her valuables, important books, and notebooks. "My computer is still in the apartment," she noted. "I have to submit a draft in two weeks. That thought makes me shaky."
Initially told the evacuation would last one to two days, students now hear it might extend to two weeks. Tversland hopes for better support. "I think 1,000 kroner is little," she said. "I hope they offer more."
Couple Magnus Prestemoen and Sanna Berg evacuated from their student housing. They spent the first night with family and now carry bags of borrowed clothes.
"The past 24 hours have been a bit fun and exciting," Prestemoen said.
"And dramatic," Berg added.
The couple wasn't home during the landslide and took no belongings. Sanna borrowed clothes from a friend, while Magnus received workout clothes from a mate.
Exam season creates additional stress. "I miss my computer," Prestemoen said. "Exams are coming in just three weeks."
Both want better information. "We know nothing about how long we'll stay here," Berg stated. They agree the SiO payment doesn't cover their needs.
Not all affected residents are students. Eric Hillersøy evacuated from Hasleveien 12 with his girlfriend. Both are geologists.
"It's going fine," Hillersøy reported. "It's been a decent 24 hours, and I feel well taken care of. I've gotten both food and a place to sleep."
He praised police handling of the evacuation. "It's well done to evacuate so many in such short time," he said.
Hillersøy received permission to return home after assessing the risk himself. "My girlfriend is doing her master's in geology," he explained. "We've looked at it, and any rockfall wouldn't reach Hasleveien 12."
He expressed sympathy for students still hotel-bound. "Compared to them, I'm lucky," Hillersøy acknowledged. "They've left computers and books behind, and some are in the middle of exam periods."
The landslide response highlights both community resilience and gaps in emergency support systems. While temporary housing meets basic needs, students clearly require more substantial assistance during academic crunch periods.