Carebecue Season In Oslo

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer sends his translation of a news story about the latest celebrations of cultural enrichment in Oslo. He includes this explanatory note:

This newspaper article appeared in today’s edition of Aftenposten. It seems that the carbecue season is well under way in Oslo. So far this year more than twenty cars have been set on fire in Groruddalen, a culturally enriched neighbourhood of Oslo.

There isn’t any mention of the ethnicity of the perpetrators, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be ‘new Norwegians’ who are behind these incidents of enrichment.

His translation from Aftenposten:

14 cars set ablaze in Oslo

Eleven cars were completely damaged in deliberately set fires in Ellingsrud in Groruddalen on Friday night. Three other cars received minor damages. No suspects have so far been apprehended.

“The first fires occurred in a parking lot in Skansen Terasse. Ten cars were completely damaged in this incident and a further three cars received minor damage,” says Marianne Grinaker, leader of operations of the Oslo Police Precinct.

Witnesses saw people run away from the scene

Police believe that the fires were deliberately set as the affected cars were parked in different locations of the parking lot. Police officers at the scene performed an area search with police dogs without any results. Witnesses told officers that two dark-clad boys ran from the scene shortly before the fires started. No one was hurt in the incident.

Shortly after receiving reports of the first fire police were informed of a second fire inside a rubbish shed in Kaiekroken in Lindeberg a few hundred metres away from the parking lot where the initial fires occurred. This incident resulted in one car and a moped being completely destroyed.

The local fire department received the first report at 0237, and the second report fifteen minutes later.

Broken windows

According to Aftenposten‘s photographer, who is at the scene, smoke was still emanating from the car wrecks at 1130 on Saturday morning. The damaged cars have Norwegian and Polish licence plates.

The police suspect that the cars has been burglarized prior to being set on fire, as all the cars have at least one broken window.

“The area was searched by police dogs in the early hours of the morning and police have now concluded the crime scene investigation. The case will be referred to the local fire Department which will commence their investigation on Monday morning,” says acting duty manager Arne Kaspersen of the Oslo Police Precinct.