Fire rages in small Norwegian town; 23 buildings destroyed

An overnight blaze in a small town in western Norwaydestroyed at least 23 buildings, while 52 people were in hospital for treatment, mainly for smoke inhalation, dpa quoted police and local authoritiesas saying Sunday.Police evacuated several hundred people from the centre of Laerdal,including a section known for its wooden houses, part of Norway'scultural heritage.There were, however, no reports of serious injuries or missingpeople.A helicopter used to combat forest fires has been commissioned tohelp tackle the blaze, along with two military helicopters. About 100firefighters were deployed.