Rockslide isolates Otterdal village, residents demand better landslide protection

County Road 5829 between Grodås and Otterdal in Volda is currently closed due to a rockslide. This road is known as one of the most susceptible to landslides in the country. According to witnesses, there was no one nearby when the landslide occurred.

The road is the only one that leads into Otterdal, hence the village is now isolated. Ståle Raftevold, a resident of Otterdal, reported that the scene was rather grim. Large rocks had fallen and the landslide spanned a width of a hundred meters. He said, “If anyone had been caught in the landslide, there would likely have been fatalities. There’s no doubt about it.”

The residents of Otterdal have been isolated several times in the past and have requested landslide protection. According to Raftevold, promises are always made each time a landslide occurs, but nothing happens afterwards. “Today, there were many cars and people out and about. It took probably less than a minute from the time the landslide occurred to when cars arrived at the scene. It was quite close this time.”

The Road Traffic Control Center has dispatched a contractor to the landslide site to assess the damage. However, they could not provide an estimate of when they will arrive or how long the road will remain closed.