Norway Shooting, Bombing: Search Called Off for Victims at Island

By Ivana Kvesic, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, July 28, 2011

Following Friday's devastating shooting massacre, Norwegian police have called off the search for bodies and people on and around the small island of Utoya.

The conclusion of the search comes on the same day that the body of a Georgian girl was discovered at the bottom of the lake on the island.

The death toll of the massacre on Utoya stands at 68 of the 76 total victims that lost their lives in the shooting rampage and car bomb attack undertaken by Andres Behring Breivik.

Norwegian police chief-of-staff Johan Fredriksen stated in a press conference, "I can confirm that the search around Utoya has now ended. We will never stop searching if there is hope of finding people."

Fredriksen added, "The number of missing people is very low."

Other police sources alluded that so far only one person had been unaccounted for.

As police work on identifying the bodies, names of the victims will continue to be announced each day at 6 p.m. on the official police website. Many names are expected to be released on Thursday.

As of now, the names of 13 victims have been released.

Meanwhile Breivik, who has confessed to the killings, is in solitary confinement with no access to television or newspapers.

Breivik will be meeting for a second time with police on Friday following a seven-hour session on the day after the attacks. The police have not indicated what information they will be seeking from him.

Police have been condemned for taking too long to reach the scene of the massacre, as it took them upwards of an hour to arrive on the island where hordes of young children were enjoying summer camp.

In response to the criticism, Fredriksen said in a press conference, "I don't think this could have gone faster. I don't see how that would be possible with the distance and with these conditions."

Breivik was arrested within two minutes of police arriving on the island.