An explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in western Oslo early Sunday caused minor damage but wounded no one, police said.
Oslo police received multiple reports of a loud blast at about 1:00 a.m. local time (0000 UTC) and responded quickly. Eyewitnesses told local outlets they saw smoke rising from the area.
Police spokesperson Michael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK that the blast occurred near the entrance to the embassy’s consular section. Officers confirmed the explosion had impacted the embassy and reported only minor damage.
Authorities said a search for those responsible is under way, but they gave no immediate details on the cause or type of device involved. Dellemyr added that no further explosive devices had been found in the vicinity.
A wide cordon was set up around the embassy compound and a heavy police presence remained on scene. Local reports said officers were stopping vehicles near the area as part of the investigation. The Oslo police department said it was in contact with the embassy and reiterated there were no reports of injured people.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials in Oslo or from the State Department. While U.S. embassies have been on heightened alert due to tensions in the Middle East, Dellemyr told Norway’s TV2 there was no immediate indication the Oslo incident was linked to those conflicts and that it was too early to draw such connections.
Edited by Sean Sinico.