Residents in Porsgrunn were ordered to evacuate following a rockslide on Thursday morning, October 22, 2026. The disaster, which shook the neighborhood like an earthquake, prompted emergency closures as geologists rushed to assess unstable mountain terrain and authorities warned that secondary slides remain a threat.
Stone Blocks Crash Near Porsgrunn Housing Blocks
Emergency services rushed to Sykehusvegen at 09:33 on Thursday morning after stone blocks crashed down and slammed toward residential housing blocks according to initial reports from local authorities. The impact stopped right by the entryway, as noted by Telemarksavisa, and trapped three cars inside the immediate impact zone.
Residents compared the sound of the geological failure to heavy seismic activity. One local reported hearing a thunderous roar that shook the entire building shortly after 9:00 before discovering blocks that had fallen out. Another witness described the event to NRK as sounding like an earthquake.
Police confirmed that multiple residents from two distinct addresses were ordered out of their homes as emergency teams scrambled to secure the perimeter. Telemarksavisa specifically identified one of the residents forced to leave as Zubajra Tsulaev.
Police Expand Perimeter as Mountain Slopes Remain Unstable
Sør-Øst Police District deployed operational units—including operational leader Tom Richard Skuggedal—to expand the security perimeter as the situation escalated throughout the morning hours. Authorities noted that sounds of shifting earth and active sliding could still be heard from the slopes, creating danger for anyone near the structures.
Incident commander Arnhild Saubrekka Holmlimo explained to NRK that the police were impatient for a professional assessment of the slide and took precautions for the worst-case scenario. Displaced individuals were directed to temporary shelter at a nearby hotel in Porsgrunn where the municipality established an evacuation center, while others sought refuge with family members.
Geologists Inspect Hillside Slopes After Prior Rockslides
A geologist deployed directly to the slide zone began structural evaluations of the upper housing units situated higher up the hillside slope. The geologist prioritized inspecting the stability of properties further up the incline before examining the primary rockslide location itself.
Homeowners noted that a smaller rockslide occurred nearby in the same area during the summer of 2025. Local witnesses and residents pointed out that this instability is not unprecedented in the area, while VG reported that a slide also happened in the same area the previous year, raising community anxiety regarding the stability of the ground influenced by rainfall.
