One tourist was killed and two others are missing after an ice cave partially collapsed during a trip to Breidamerkurjökull glacier in southern Iceland on Sunday.
According to a statement posted on social media by local police, a group of about 25 foreign tourists of various nationalities were exploring an ice cave with a guide shortly before 3pm when four of them were hit by falling ice.
One tourist died from his injuries and the other was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a hospital in the capital, authorities said.
Local media reported that around 200 rescue workers were working tirelessly to find the two missing people, but the search was halted after nightfall due to what local police described as “difficult” conditions. The search is due to resume on Monday morning.
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Breidamerkurjökull is a mountain glacier in the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images, File)
Rescuers had to cut the ice by hand with chainsaws because the glacier’s steep terrain made it difficult to transport additional equipment and personnel, according to Icelandic public broadcaster RUV.
According to local authorities, a group of 25 foreign tourists from various nationalities were exploring the ice cave, pictured above, with a guide on Sunday when four of them were hit by falling ice. (Sven-Erik Arndt/Altera/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
Local police chief Sveinn Christian Runarsson told Icelandic television there was no evidence to suggest the guided cave tours should not have taken place. BBC.
Breidamerkurjökull glacier is seen beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap near Hof, Iceland. Rescue teams are still searching for two tourists who are missing on the glacier after an accident in an ice cave on Sunday. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images, File)
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“These tours are run by experienced, strong mountain guides,” Runarsson says. “There’s always the chance of bad luck, but I trust them to assess the situation, to know when it’s safe to go and when it’s not. And good work has been done there for many years. This is living land, so anything can happen.”
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The collapse is likely not related to a volcanic eruption that occurred on Friday in southeastern Iceland, about 185 miles from the glacier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
