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A large bomb has ripped through government buildings in central Oslo, causing at least two deaths, more than a dozen injuries and extensive damage.
Three hours later, multiple shootings were reported at a summer camp for young people organised by the ruling Norwegian Labour party. A party spokesman said several people had been shot but gave no details as to the extent of their injuries.
It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were related and no one claimed responsibility but suspicion for the bomb immediately fell on Islamic extremist terrorists.
Jens Stoltenberg, prime minister, whose offices are in the building that bore the brunt of the Oslo attack, was working at home and so escaped unharmed. He said it was too soon to apportion blame. He was also due to visit the attacked camp, on an island near Utøya, 40km west of Norway, although the timing of his trip was not known.
An organiser at the summer camp reported hearing “many, many” gunshots.
Before the bombing of Grubbegata, Oslo, Norge
Speaking by phone from near the scene, he said more than 600 youths aged 14-25 were attending the camp. Some were trying to swim 500m to the mainland to escape the gunfire and others were in hiding, he said. It was not clear if the gunman was still at large.
Norwegian police earlier confirmed that the Oslo blast was caused by a bomb and said the device was most likely detonated in a car.
The blast, which was heard by people at least 7km away, caused extensive damage to a complex of tall government buildings housing the prime minister’s office and the ministries of finance and petroleum. Broken glass and other debris rained down on surrounding streets and multiple casualties could be seen afterwards receiving treatment for serious injuries.
Oslo police confimed two deaths. Officers reported bodies in buildings closest the blast site but it was not clear if these included the two confirmed fatalities.
Norway’s public broadcaster NRK quoted one of its journalists as saying: “The whole building shook. We thought it was an earthquake.
“There are people on the streets bleeding. There is glass everywhere. There is chaos here. The windows are blown out of all the nearby buildings.”
BBC has pictures:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14254095