Explosion rocks Norwegian PM's office

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Explosion rocks Norwegian PM's office

 

Several people reported injured and windows of building housing prime minister's office blown out, reports say.

 

22 Jul 2011 13:58

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The attack left several people injured but the prime minister was reported to be safe [Photo by Geir-Olav Goksøyr]

 

An explosion has blown out most windows of a government building housing the prime minister's office and left several people injured, news agencies say.

 

Friday's blast blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing Jens Stoltenberg's office, as well as nearby ministries, including the oil ministry, which was on fire.

 

Camilla Ryste, a government spokeswoman, told the Associated Press the prime minister was safe.

 

A Reuters correspondent, Walter Gibbs, said he counted at least eight injured people. The cause of the blast was unknown but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building.

 

And an Associated Press reporter said newspaper offices in the area were also damaged and smoke could be seen drifting in the streets.

 

The reporter said he saw a young man with a bleeding leg being helped away from the area. It was not immediately clear whether there were other injuries.

 

The attack comes days after Norwegian prosecutors filed a terrorism charge against Mullah Krekar, founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, who is accused of threatening a former minister, Erna Solberg, with death.

 

"Norway will pay a heavy price for my death," he said. "If, for example, Erna Solberg deports me and I die as a result, she will suffer the same fate."

 

It is not clear whether Friday's attack is related to the threat.

[Gheelle.T]

Qadafi was threatening them as well.

[Saalax]

Norway is a peaceful country this is a first.