Suspect charged over Norway attacks

Norwegian gunman disguised as a police officer beckoned his victims closer before shooting them one by one, claiming at least 84 lives, in a horrific killing spree.

The island tragedy on Friday unfolded hours after a massive explosion ripped through a high-rise building housing the prime minister's office, killing seven people in a scene some likened to the aftermath of 9/11.

The same man - a Norwegian with reported Christian fundamentalist, anti-Muslim views - is suspected in both attacks. He has been preliminarily charged with acts of terrorism.


On the island of Utoya, panicked teens attending a Labour Party youth wing summer camp plunged into the water or played dead to avoid the assailant in the assault that may have lasted 30 minutes before a Swat team arrived, police said.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said the twin attacks made Friday peacetime Norway's deadliest day.

"This is beyond comprehension. It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare for those who have been killed, for their mothers and fathers, family and friends," Mr Stoltenberg told reporters. He said he would meet victims later in the day on Utoya.

The toll in both attacks reached 91, and police said that could still rise as they search the waters around the island for more bodies.

Acting Police Chief Roger Andresen said he did not how many people were still missing. The Oslo University hospital said it has so far received 11 wounded from the bombing and 16 people from the camp shooting.

The carnage began on Friday afternoon in Oslo, when a bomb rocked the heart of Norway.

About two hours later, the shootings began at a retreat for ruling Labour Party's youth-wing, according to a police official. The gunman used both automatic weapons and handguns.