Oslo tram derails and crashes into computer store

Driver and three others are injured after tram carrying some 20 passengers crashes in Norway’s capital

An view of the tram that derailed in the centre of Oslo, Norway. Photograph: Terje Pedersen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images
An view of the tram that derailed in the centre of Oslo, Norway. Photograph: Terje Pedersen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

A tram crashed into a store in central Oslo on Tuesday, injuring the driver and at least three other people, Norwegian police said.

Emergency services treated the wounded at the scene but none were believed to have severe injuries, a police statement said, adding there were around 20 passengers aboard the tram at the time of the crash.

Images from the scene showed a blue tram that had penetrated a computer store on the ground floor of a four-storey building in the centre of the Norwegian capital.

Demolition worker Thomas Larsen (41) said he was driving down the street on an electric scooter, towards the tram, when it derailed in front of him.

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“I hit the brakes. Three seconds later, I would have been under it,” he told Reuters. “It is scary that this could happen in the middle of the city.”

The crash triggered a massive response by rescue services, cordoning off the area. The building was evacuated, and will be checked for structural damage, police said.

“We are working to get an overview of the scope, but there is a lot of damage to the store,” police said in a statement.

It was too early to say what had caused the incident, a spokesperson for tram operator Sporveien said. “We are going to have to conduct inquiries on site by our specialists,” he added. – Reuters

An emergency worker takes evidence after a tram crashed into a building in Oslo, Norway. Photograph: TERJE PEDERSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images
An emergency worker takes evidence after a tram crashed into a building in Oslo, Norway. Photograph: TERJE PEDERSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images