A medical crisis was declared as 57 victims were taken to hospital. 16 ambulances, a bus for the walking wounded, a Sea King rescue helicopter and two ambulance helicopters were sent to the accident site.
The spectators were watching the race from a small hill, when lightning struck.
"At first it was just raining then suddenly lightning hit the middle of an area where public had gathered. Everyone tried to get to lower ground, a lot of them were screaming and crying," says Even Wiger, who was there with his 14 year-old son, to news bureau NTB.
He felt like his whole body had been hit by something big and his son felt a strike through his umbrella. "It was frightening when lightning struck without warning. The situation was dramatic, but people found shelter and ambulance personnel were on hand," he says.
Landlines and mobile phones were knocked out by the thunderstorm. This made getting patients to hospital more difficult.
The final round of the rally was to have taken place half an hour after the lightning struck, but the race was abandoned. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but a sevral of the casualties were kept in hospital for further observation.
