Shortly after 2 pm on Thursday, the rescue service was alerted about a derailed train south of Mo i Rana.
The locomotive and five carriages had derailed and were lying on their side on a steep slope, and it took the rescue service several hours to get an overview of the situation, which was described as "unmanageable".
The police report that one person has died and several others have been injured – none of them are said to have life-threatening injuries. Four people have been taken to hospital, according to NTB. The deceased was employed by Norwegian SJ, according to the train company.
There were 55 people on board the train when it derailed. Everyone is now out, says Bent Are Eilertsen at the police in Nordland to the Norwegian news agency.
Many of those who were evacuated had to get out through smashed windows.
Rescue services from Bodø and Brønnøysund are working on site, but their work is being hampered, according to VG, by the train's position on the slope.
The cause of the accident is not yet fully established, but the likely cause is, according to the police, rocks that have fallen onto the track.
The police responded with all available personnel and initiated an evacuation of the train. We are now waiting for a geotechnician to assess the situation. There has been rockfall and some rain in the area, says incident commander Aril Woldmo to NRK.
Both the railway track and the nearby motorway E6 remain closed after the accident. The train section between Bjerka and Mo i Rana will be closed for several days.
