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Auckland-based Pernille Skaare and the aftermath of a blast on a street in Oslo - Source: ONE News/Reuters
Rescue workers work at the scene of a powerful explosion that rocked central Oslo - Source: Reuters -
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Twins attacks in Norway which killed at least 91 people have sent shockwaves through New Zealand's Norwegian community.
A gunman dressed in police uniform
opened fire at a youth camp of Norway's ruling
Labour Party overnight, killing at least 84 people in one of the
worst non-wartime massacres in history . It came hours after a
bomb killed seven people in the government district in the capital
Oslo.
Norwegian television has reported the gunman, who is in police
custody, had links to right-wing extremism.
Pernille Skaare, who is living in Auckland, said it is the last thing she would expect to happen in their homeland.
"It's quite shocking ... Norway is such a peaceful country," she told ONE News.
Skaare heard from her parents that her sister only narrowly escaped the blasts in central Oslo.
"She had been in the area when it had exploded, and they had to run back home because of glass and smoke everywhere."
Elena Hoebeke said her school was next to the bombing site.
"I went to school there for two years, walked up the street every morning and every afternoon. It's a very nice area."
Watch the full interview with Pernille Skaare and Elena Hoebeke here.
As the death toll mounts, there is some relief in that things could have been worse had it not been for the timing of the bomb blast.
"[It's] very lucky that it happened during the summer, and also after working hours," said Hoebeke.
Labour MP Jacinda Ardern is also waiting anxiously for news. She's worked with several people now likely to be victims of the youth camp massacre.
"With that number of victims, it's very likely I will know some of them. It will have a devastating effect for that organisation and for Norway," she said.
The Norwegian consulate says no one from the country has so far contacted them for emergency help getting home.
Staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said tonight a New Zealander remains unaccounted for after the attacks.
There are 61 New Zealanders currently registered as being in Norway.
Kiwi's close call
New Zealand Sara Harris, who lives in Norway, was only 100 metres away from where the bomb exploded in Oslo's central government district.
Harris was in shop with her daughter when they heard a "really loud, massive boom".
"It shook the whole building and bits of plaster and stuff were crashing down on us," she said.
"I thought it was isolated to where we were but as soon as we got out of the shop we could see the whole street was grey."
A man was injured outside of the shop and that's when Harris realised there had been an explosion.
"We were really lucky we were in the shop and away from the windows- considering how close we were. We could have been walking down that street [where the bomb went off]."
The Aucklander and her family moved to Norway four months ago and were intending to stay until October. Her brother was visiting from Wellington.
"We had just finished emailing our friends saying Oslo is such a beautiful city, so nice and quiet and then the next few hours this happens," she said.
Her brother was shopping further up the street when the bomb went off. Harris tried calling him while her and her 16-year-old daughter made their way to safety.
The Oslo bomb blew out the windows of the prime minister's building, damaged the finance and oil ministries and scattered glass and masonry across the streets.
Harris wanted to get away from people, large buildings and the government headquarters so made her way to an intersection, where her brother met her minutes later.
"You didn't know which way to go. There was broken glass every where, windows were smashed all through town," she said.
"I was pretty nervous. I just wanted to get home where I thought I'd be safe."
Harris, her daughter and brother started walking home and then caught the tram. She said the city was in chaos, with sirens going off, ambulances zooming by and people running every where.
She said it was a "frightening" experience and it was particularly difficult with everyone speaking Norwegian as she only speaks English.
Do you know any New Zealanders living in Oslo or are you a Norwegian living in New Zealand? Please get in touch with us news@tvnz.co.nz
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