An explosion struck the building of the Prime Minister of Norway Friday morning. Other buildings in the area including several newspaper offices were also in shambles with broken window and debris strewn across the streets, according to multiple reports.
Many government offices were struck and there may have been a second blast that hit parliament offices, CNN is reporting.
Smoke filled the air as people ran from the incident. At this time it is unclear what actually caused the blast but the Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, is unharmed. The blast killed two people while several others were injured, according to BBC.
The 17-story building that housed the government building was critically damaged as well as the other offices and the oil ministry nearby which caught fire.
Loud alarms were heard ringing in the streets as people scrambled along the country’s capital walking along the broken glass and fumes of smoke.
The Vancouver Sun describes the scene with a statement by NRK, “I 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”.
A man dressed as a police officer fired shots into a crowd of people at the Labour Party Youth Camp on Utoya Island, located 45 minutes from Oslo, at the the same time of the explosion.
Fox explains that the incident occurred after an Iraqi-born cleric was indicted in Norway after threatening politicians.
The alleged terror suspect, Mullah Krekar, is a founder of an Islamist group. However, it is unknown whether Krekar’s threats had anything to do with the attacks on the government buildings.
There is also the matter of the Danish cartoonist that drew offending pictures of Muhammad and Fox reported that earlier this year his house was broken into due to his actions.
