An explosion struck the Embassy of the United States, Oslo in Oslo, Norway, in the early hours of Sunday, but authorities say no injuries have been reported.
According to the Oslo Police District, the blast occurred at about 1:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT). Police confirmed that the explosion caused minor damage to part of the embassy building.
Public broadcaster NRK reported that the explosion affected the entrance to the embassy’s consular section.
Police incident commander Michael Dellemyr said authorities received multiple reports of a loud explosion shortly after it happened.
“At around 1:00 a.m. 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 told NRK.
Dellemyr said the damage appeared to be minor but noted that investigators were still working to determine exactly what caused the blast.
“We are not going to comment on anything related to the type of damage or what exploded beyond the fact that there has been an explosion,” he said, adding that it was still very early in the investigation.
He later told TV2 Norway that police believe the incident may have been carried out intentionally, although investigations are ongoing.
Authorities have begun speaking with witnesses, and a bomb squad was deployed to examine the scene. A large number of police officers were also stationed around the area as part of the response.
Residents living near the embassy reported hearing a loud blast. A 16-year-old witness identified as Edvard told TV2 that he initially thought the sound came from inside his 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 lot of police,” he said.
He added that police dogs, drones, armed officers and helicopters were deployed as security forces secured the area.
Police cordoned off streets around the embassy while officers stopped and checked vehicles passing through nearby routes.
The incident comes at a time when US diplomatic missions around the world have been placed on heightened alert following tensions linked to recent military actions involving Iran.
However, Dellemyr stressed that there was currently no evidence linking the explosion in Oslo to the ongoing geopolitical tensions. Investigations into the incident are continuing.
