CRISISBOOM

telegraphThere were no immediate reports of casualties from the blast, which occurred at the government headquarters which house the offices of Jens Stoltenberg.

It remains unclear what caused the blast or if it was a terrorism attack. The Prime Minister was reported to be safe.

The cause of the blast was unknown but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building.

The damage appeared consistent with that from car bombs. Police and fire officials declined to comment on the cause.

Injured people were seen lying on the street in pools of blood. Heavy debris littered the streets and smoke rose over the city centre.

The 17-storey building, which also houses Norway’s biggest tabloid newspaper VG, was reported to be on fire, with thick black smoke being seen for miles.

Witnesses reported the massive blast blew out most windows in the building as well as nearby government departments including the oil ministry, in Norway’s capital and most populated city.

The blast, which occurred just after lunch on Friday, left at least a dozen people

“I see that some windows of the VG building and the government headquarters have been broken,” one witness told public radio NRK.

“Some people covered with blood are lying in the street.”

Ingunn Andersen, a local journalist, said: “There is glass everywhere. It is total chaos. The windows of the all the surrounding buildings have been blown out.”

Kjersti Vedun, who was leaving the area, added: It exploded – it must have been a bomb. people ran in panic and ran. I counted at least 10 injured people.”

Other offices are being evacuated.

No other details were immediately known.

NATO member Norway has sometimes in the past been threatened by leaders of al Qaeda for its involvement in Afghanistan.

But political violence is virtually unknown in the country.