Landslide Damages Houses In Varmahlíð, Calls For Evacuation Of Remaining Homes

A landslide damaged two houses in Varmahlíð Tuesday at four o’clock, according to Vísir. Fortunately, there were no casualties. However, the two homes faced significant damage from the landslide.

Two homes damaged in the landslide

The Chief of Police at the Northwest Police, Stefán Vagn Stefánsson, spoke on the matter with the news agency. “A landslide fell over Laugavegur and two houses, but there were no casualties. The street is badly damaged and the damage to the houses is being assessed,” he explains.

It was revealed that a crack had been noticed in the soil above the road. Contractors had been hired to mend the crack, arriving with equipment to prevent the soil from moving. However, while working to secure the area, the landslide occurred as they were on site.

Source: Vísir

Evacuation of homes at risk

An order to evacuate the remaining nine houses in the area was made on the same day, reports RÚV. The soil has not moved further but is waterlogged. Stefán explains, “People do not know exactly where this water comes from and as long as that is the case, it is not safe to cancel the evacuation that was decided yesterday.”

“Although it was a scary event that took place yesterday, I think it was a miracle that there were no injuries,” says Stefán.

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