Rescue teams in a Norwegian village were still searching for survivors on Saturday, four days after a landslide buried several houses.
So far, three bodies have been recovered, but teams are still searching for seven people who are still missing.
Ground search teams are assisted by helicopters and drones with heat detection cameras amid harsh winter conditions on the devastated hill in Ask, about 25 kilometers northeast of Oslo.
Police have promised not to slow the search, despite the fact that a rescue team from neighboring Sweden has already returned home.
Local police chief Ida Melbo Oeystese said survivors could still be found in the air pockets formed inside the destroyed buildings.
“From a medical point of view, you can survive for a few days if you have air,” he told reporters at a news conference.
A second body was found in the area on Saturday afternoon; the first was found on Friday. A Dalmatian dog was saved alive.
The landslide is the worst in the modern history of Norway and has shocked the citizens of the Nordic nation.
On Friday evening, the police announced the names and years of birth of the 10 people initially reported missing. These include a 2-year-old child. Authorities have not yet identified the two recovered bodies.
The landslide crossed a road through Ask, home to about 5,000 people, leaving a deep ravine resembling a crater through which cars could not pass.
Photographs and footage showed dramatic scenes of buildings hanging on the edge of the ravine.
At least nine buildings with more than 30 apartments have been destroyed.
The rescue operation was hampered by the limited number of hours of the day, fears of further soil erosion and the fragile soil of the site, which is unlikely to support the weight of the rescue team, including a heavy army vehicle.
More than 1,000 people have been evacuated, and authorities say up to 1,500 people could be moved out of the area for fear of landslides.
King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon plan to visit the area on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims and meet with residents and first responders. The 83-year-old monarch said in his New Year’s speech that the royal family was deeply moved by the tragedy.
Although the causes of the avalanche are unknown, it is known that the area has a large amount of so-called fast clay, which is a type of clay that can change from a solid to a liquid form. Experts said the clay substance combined with excessive rainfall and wet weather conditions could have contributed to the landslide.
Local media reported that authorities warned companies in 2005 not to build houses in the area, but eventually houses were built in the following years.