Authorities in Norway have begun an investigation after an explosion struck the United States Embassy Oslo in the early hours of Sunday. Officials confirmed that no injuries were recorded, although the blast caused minor damage to the building.
According to the Oslo Police District, the incident happened at about 1:00 am local time (0000 GMT). Officers responded quickly after receiving several emergency calls reporting a loud explosion.
Police incident commander Michael Dellemyr told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the explosion affected the entrance area of the embassy’s consular section.
“At around 1:00 am we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed that there had been an explosion that hit the US embassy,” he said.
He noted that the blast caused limited damage.
“There is minor damage,” he said.
However, the police said it was too early to disclose specific details about the source or type of explosion.
“We are not going to comment on anything related to the type of damage, what it is that has exploded and similar details, beyond the fact that there has been an explosion” because “it is very early in the investigation”.
Later speaking to TV2, Dellemyr indicated that authorities suspect the incident may have been carried out deliberately.
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“We have an idea of the cause,” he said. “It appears to us that this is an act carried out by someone.”
Security around the embassy was tightened following the incident, with a large number of police officers deployed to the area. Investigators are also interviewing witnesses while a bomb squad examines the scene.
Residents living near the embassy reported hearing a powerful blast. A teenager identified as Edvard told TV2 that he and his mother initially thought the sound came from inside their home.
“My mother and I first thought it came from our house, so we looked around a little, but then we saw the flashing lights outside the window and a ton of police,” he said.
“There were police dogs and drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air,” he added.
Police sealed off streets around the embassy as part of the ongoing investigation.
Although several American diplomatic missions in the Middle East have recently faced threats linked to tensions involving Iran, authorities said there is currently no evidence connecting the Oslo explosion to the wider conflict.
“We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” Dellemyr told TV2.