Dam bursts in Norway, settlements evacuated

(Patria) - A dam on the Galmi River in Norway partially burst on Wednesday, following several days of heavy rain that triggered landslides and caused floods in the southern mountainous parts of the country, said a local police official. Settlements downstream from the dam have been evacuated.

Glama, the longest and most turbulent river in Norway, is dammed by the Braskereidfos hydroelectric power plant, which is now underwater and not operational.

Authorities initially considered blowing up a section of the dam to prevent the flooding of downstream settlements. However, the idea was abandoned because the water had already breached the dam in the meantime, police spokesperson Fredrik Tomson told reporters.

According to him, enormous amounts of water spilled over the western parts of the dam.

"Water gradually started to leak through the dam, and it is not currently appropriate to take any measures at the power plant," Tomson told reporters, adding that the situation is constantly being assessed.

At least 1,000 people live in settlements near the river in the area, and authorities announced that all of them were evacuated before the dam partially burst.

According to Alexandra Beh Gjerv, chairwoman of the board of Hafslund Eko, the outlets at the hydroelectric plant did not open automatically, as they should have when there was excess water in the reservoir.

It is unclear why this did not happen, she said.