Norway gun suspect 'acted alone'

Map of central Oslo and Utoeya

Norway was hit by twin attacks on Friday that left the nation in profound shock.

A massive bomb blast shattered buildings in the capital Oslo, killing at least seven people. Then a gunman rampaged through an island youth camp run by the ruling Labour Party, killing at least 86 people. How did the events unfold?

A massive blast shook the centre of Oslo at 1526 (1326 GMT), blowing out the windows of the prime minister's offices and damaging the finance and oil ministries.

The boom could be heard across the city. The area targeted is the heart of the Labour Party government.

Witnesses described a scene like a war zone, with people walking dazed through streets strewn with rubble. A huge dust cloud enveloped the city centre as police cordoned off the area and evacuated buildings.

Ambulances rushed dozens of injured to hospital and at least seven people were killed in the blast. The death toll is expected to rise as police say body parts remain in some of the damaged buildings.

Eyewitness Ingunn Andersen says she saw many injured people

Police confirmed on Saturday that the blast was caused by a car bomb, and said undetonated explosives remain around the buildings. The bomb was reported to be a mixture of fertiliser and fuel, like the one that destroyed a US federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Although Norway has a reputation for tranquillity it has deployed troops in Afghanistan as a Nato member. A Norwegian newspaper with offices in the targeted area was also linked to the furore over Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. There were threats against Norway from some Islamist militants last year and initial speculation focused on the al-Qaeda network.

But an hour or two later on Friday reports came in of a shooting incident at an island youth camp run by the ruling Labour Party.

At around 1650 (1450GMT), people began to hear shooting from the island of Utoeya across a lake about 35km (20 miles) north-west of Oslo.

Police disguise

Twitter messages spoke of a gunman dressed as a policeman shooting teenagers at the camp on Utoeya island. Eyewitnesses have since confirmed the gunman was wearing a police uniform.

On Friday night police said about 10 had been killed at the forested camp, but some survivors told the BBC and other media that the toll was much higher. One eyewitness said he had seen about 20 bodies.

During the night the figure given by police soared to more than 80 dead, as horrific details emerged.

After the first reports of the shootings, at 1726, a police SWAT team was despatched to Utoeya at 1740. Meanwhile, the gunman was wandering the island randomly shooting victims, according to eyewitness reports.

Survivors described chaotic scenes as teenagers fled from the gunman, some plunging into the water to swim to safety. He shot at those who tried to swim away. Others hid in the undergrowth, cowering in fear.

Chilling descriptions have emerged of how the gunman, posing as a policeman, called campers to him as if to offer help but opened fire on them. He was described as tall, blond and Nordic-looking.

The gunman did not take every chance he had to end life. A survivor, Adrian Pracon, told the BBC he spared a 10-year-old boy who told him that his father was already gone and that he didn't want to die.

Mr Pracon himself came face to face with the gunman and was not killed after he pleaded for his life.

Eyewitness, Emma: "I could smell the gunpowder"

On the ferry that took him to the island he reportedly told people that he was on a security mission after the Oslo bomb blast.

Police said they decided to drive to Utoeya because they thought a police helicopter would take longer as they did not have quick access to one.

Once they arrived at the lake at about 1800, they had difficulty making the crossing. Local police chief Erik Berga said a police boat that had been brought to the scene to transport the armed unit nearly sank.

"When so many people and equipment were put into it, the boat started to take on water, so that the motor stopped," he said, according to Reuters news agency.

"The boat was way too small and way too poor."

He said recreational boats were commandeered for the crossing.

They arrived on the island at 1825 and two minutes later the gunman surrendered without putting up a fight. His shooting spree had lasted one-and-a-half hours.

His lawyer later said that he had run out of ammunition, but this was contradicted by police.

Police linked the island massacre to the Oslo bombing. They said he had used automatic weapons and handguns, and are investigating whether any unexploded devices remain at the youth camp.

They are also investigating whether the gunman was operating alone.

Norwegian media identified the man as a Norwegian - Anders Behring Breivik, 32. Police charged him with involvement in the island massacre and the Oslo bomb blast.

Police said the man was answering questions and they described him as a right-wing Christian fundamentalist. He had previously posted anti-Muslim rhetoric on the internet, police said.

Then on Saturday, a farm supplier said Mr Breivik bought six tonnes of fertiliser in May. According to Norwegian TV, he had established a farm called Breivik Geofarm, which gave him the cover story he needed to get the fertiliser.

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