AceBreakingNews – In short, at least one person has died, and two others are missing after an ice cave in southern Iceland partially collapsed. The cave, located at the Breidamerkurjokull glacier, collapsed while a group of 25 foreign tourists were visiting the site on a tour
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The search operation for the missing people will resume in the morning, local time, according to police.
At least one person has died and two others are missing after an ice cave partially collapsed while a group of tourists was visiting the Breiðamerkurjökull glacial tongue in southern Iceland.
The Breiðamerkurjökull glacial tongue — or outlet glacier — is a landmass that protrudes from the larger Vatnajökull glacier which stretches across approximately 10 per cent of the country.
In a statement posted on social media, police said first responders received a call shortly before 3pm on Sunday, local time, as about 25 foreign tourists from several nationalities were exploring ice caves when four of them were struck by falling ice. Local news site Visir said the group was on an organised ice cave tour and were accompanied by a guide but most people were outside the cave when it collapsed. The ice cave is a popular destination for tourists.
Icelandic media reported that two helicopters from the country’s coastguard had been dispatched, and ambulances and police had also been called to the scene.
Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that efforts to transport equipment and personnel up to the glacier had proven difficult due to the rugged terrain and cutting through the ice was mostly done by hand with chainsaws.
Police said they found two of the people who had become stuck under the ice.
One died from their injuries at the scene of the accident while another was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the capital, reportedly in a stable condition.
A large number of rescuers worked throughout the afternoon and into the evening searching for the remaining two missing people.
The operation was paused after dark due to dangerous conditions but resumed in the morning with more than 50 rescuers, RUV reported.
Despite “cloudless skies”, conditions on the glacier are still “clearly not safe”, the outlet said.
Police are investigating the incident.
The collapse was likely not related to a volcanic eruption in south-east Iceland on Friday, about 300 kilometres away from the glacier.
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