A fire and fears of a gas explosion prevented rescue workers from entering a collapsed six-storey apartment building in western Norway where five people were believed missing, police said Wednesday. Police officer Kjell Kvenseth, who was in charge of the rescue operation, said it was unlikely the five feared to be trapped in the building in the city of Alesund had survived. "With the fire and smoke in the building, I must say chances are slim - if not impossible - for survival," Kvenseth told broadcaster NRK. About 20 people were believed to have been in the building and 15 were taken to hospital. Two sustained minor injuries, police and hospital spokesmen said. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg expresssed his condolences and said the government was closely monitoring the rescue efforts. A probe was likely to be launched into what caused the accident. Kvenseth earlier said that until the fire was under control it was impossible to attempt a search of the building with sniffer dogs. A security cordon was enlarged and more nearby buildings, in all some 40 including two other apartment buildings, were evacuated over fears that the fire might ignite a leaking gas tank in the basement of the collapsed apartment building. Police and fire services said the contents of the tank had to burn off completely before any attempts to enter the building were made. The building was built on the slope of a mountain, and there was speculation that a landslide might have caused the collapse. Another smaller rockslide was reported later in the morning. Geologist Geir Bertelsen said that a few years ago he had advised the building company to blast away parts of the mountain above the area before any buildings were erected, the online edition of the Bergensavisen newspaper reported. The landslide pushed the building forward several metres, and the ground floor of the building was badly damaged, making search and rescue efforts dangerous. A geologist and other experts from Oslo emergency services specialized in rescue operations were dispatched to the scene. Many of the people in the building were able to leave the site on their own, but others were aided by rescue workers, NRK reported. Some of the survivors said the collapse felt like an earthquake.
