Mudslide in Arctic Norway sweeps houses into the sea

A worker descends from a Royal Norwegian Airforce Sea King Helicopter to rescue a dog called Raija from the debris of destroyed houses after a landslide in Alta, Norway, June 3, 2020 in this picture grab from a video. Royal Norwegian Airforce/via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

A powerful mudslide in Arctic Norway swept eight houses and the piece of land on which they stood into the sea, where they sank into swirling waters, footage posted on social media showed.

Nobody was hurt when the houses, near the town of Alta in northern Norway, were uprooted in the 650-metre (710 yards) long mudslide on Wednesday.

"It appears no humans were in the area when it happened," local police officer Torfinn Halvari told Norwegian news agency NTB.

Dog Raija is seen as she is rescued by a Royal Norwegian Airforce Sea King Helicopter after a landslide in Alta, Norway, June 3, 2020 in this picture grab from a video. Royal Norwegian Airforce/via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

A one-year-old elkhound called Raija was rescued from the mudslide by a military rescue helicopter and reunited with its owners, footage showed.

"The dog was swept into the sea but managed to swim ashore and survived," said Halvari.

Dog Raija is seen as she is rescued by a Royal Norwegian Airforce Sea King Helicopter after a landslide in Alta, Norway, June 3, 2020 in this picture grab from a video. Royal Norwegian Airforce/via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky; Editing by Hugh Lawson)