The police received a report of a serious traffic accident in Steigentunellen, Steigen municipality, Nordland, on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.
According to TV 2 sources, there were a total of ten people in the travel group from the Czech Republic, where at least five people were allegedly involved in the accident and were traveling in a car.
Four died from their injuries and one person was seriously injured in hospital.
Life-saving first aid was administered at the scene, but the lives of the four involved could not be saved:
– Health workers present at the scene confirmed the death of four people. All four of the dead were in the car, said Operations Manager Tommy Bech of the Nordland Police District.
COLLISION: The car collided with a tractor in the middle of the eight kilometer long tunnel. Photo: Gunnar Grytøyr
Two more people were taken to Nordlandssykehus on Sunday with unknown injuries.
Norslandssykehuset communications manager Randi Angelsen told TV 2 on Monday morning that the person is described as critically injured and will be taken to St Olav Hospital for further treatment.
The other person involved is now described as having minor injuries, Angelsen says.
It was a tractor with a trailer that was hit from behind by a car registered in a foreign country, roughly in the middle of the tunnel. Both vehicles were traveling in the direction of E6, the police said on Sunday.
– Creates a mood for all of us
Steigen Tunnel is located in both Steigen and Hamarøy municipalities. The latter put its psychosocial crisis staff on alert.
– This is a serious traffic accident that we have been informed about, Hamarøy municipality mayor Britt Kristoffersen (Sp) told TV 2 on Sunday.
– Such an incident in traffic affects the atmosphere of all of us, and it is clear that until more information is released, many people are waiting for additional information about the incident.
HARD SUMMARY: Images of the wreckage show extensive damage to the car. Photo: Roy-Arne Salater, TV2