Major Norwegian highway remains closed after bus fire in tunnel

A fire in a party bus has shut down Norway’s only road link between northern and central regions for a second day, with authorities unable to say when the critical E6 route will reopen.

The blaze broke out in the Raudhammartunnel in Sørfold, Nordland, just after midnight on Friday, forcing a full closure of the tunnel, Dagbladet reports. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration initially stated the tunnel would remain shut for “several days,” though later revised this to a possible reopening on Saturday—without specifying a time.

“There was intense heat development, damaging the rock inside. Crews are now clearing loose stones, which must be removed before traffic can resume,” traffic operator Morten Fjellheim of the Norwegian Traffic Information Centre told the newspaper. “We simply don’t have a timeline. People will need to be patient.”

The closure has severed the sole land route connecting northern Norway to the rest of the country, disrupting Easter travel plans and emergency services. Detours require either a ferry from Bodø to Lofoten and onward to Hamarøy, or a lengthy drive through Sweden.

Once reopened, traffic will face restrictions, with a pilot vehicle guiding cars through the tunnel in alternating directions. “It won’t flow like normal,” Fjellheim said.

A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the fire. Police allege he was driving the bus without a valid license and that the vehicle was not roadworthy. His defence lawyer, Tor Haug, told public broadcaster NRK that the teen has admitted guilt and “deeply regrets the consequences.”