Authorities in Norway are investigating a weekend blast that struck the United States Embassy in Oslo early Sunday, leaving minor damage but no reported injuries. Police said emergency services were dispatched to the diplomatic compound around 1:00 am local time after reports of an explosion near the building.
The blast occurred at the public entrance to the embassy, according to officials overseeing the response. Officials say the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Terrorist motives are being investigated.
"One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it," said Frode Larsen according to BBC, head of the joint investigation and intelligence unit of the Norwegian Police Service, during remarks to the broadcaster NRK.
Police later emphasized that investigators are keeping multiple possibilities open. Larsen said authorities must remain cautious as the inquiry develops. "we have to be open to the possibility that there may be other causes behind what has happened."
Photos circulating online showed shattered glass outside the embassy’s consular entrance, cracks in a glass door, and dark marks on the tiled floor near the doorway. Snow surrounding the entrance was also scattered with debris from the blast. The embassy building is located in the Morgedalsvegen district roughly seven kilometers outside Oslo’s city center.
Michael Dellemyr, who is leading the police response, said officers searched the surrounding area after the explosion and asked members of the public to provide information that could assist the investigation. Police confirmed they are working closely with embassy staff as the inquiry continues.
A spokesperson for the US Department of State said the agency is aware of the incident and is monitoring developments. Norwegian officials also addressed the situation publicly. Espen Barth Eide, the country’s foreign minister, described the incident as unacceptable and said he had contacted U.S. diplomatic officials.
"The security of diplomatic missions is very important to us," he said. Eide said he spoke with Eric Meyer, the chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Oslo, following the explosion. Police said no injuries were reported and the investigation remains ongoing.
The blast occurred at the public entrance to the embassy, according to officials overseeing the response. Officials say the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Terrorist motives are being investigated.
"One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism, but we are not completely locked into it," said Frode Larsen according to BBC, head of the joint investigation and intelligence unit of the Norwegian Police Service, during remarks to the broadcaster NRK.
Police later emphasized that investigators are keeping multiple possibilities open. Larsen said authorities must remain cautious as the inquiry develops. "we have to be open to the possibility that there may be other causes behind what has happened."
Photos circulating online showed shattered glass outside the embassy’s consular entrance, cracks in a glass door, and dark marks on the tiled floor near the doorway. Snow surrounding the entrance was also scattered with debris from the blast. The embassy building is located in the Morgedalsvegen district roughly seven kilometers outside Oslo’s city center.
Michael Dellemyr, who is leading the police response, said officers searched the surrounding area after the explosion and asked members of the public to provide information that could assist the investigation. Police confirmed they are working closely with embassy staff as the inquiry continues.
A spokesperson for the US Department of State said the agency is aware of the incident and is monitoring developments. Norwegian officials also addressed the situation publicly. Espen Barth Eide, the country’s foreign minister, described the incident as unacceptable and said he had contacted U.S. diplomatic officials.
"The security of diplomatic missions is very important to us," he said. Eide said he spoke with Eric Meyer, the chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Oslo, following the explosion. Police said no injuries were reported and the investigation remains ongoing.
