Not less than one individual has died and two others are nonetheless lacking after an ice cave partially collapsed as a gaggle of vacationers was visiting the Breidamerkurjokull glacier in southern Iceland.
In an announcement posted on social media, native police say first responders acquired a name shortly earlier than 3pm native time on Sunday (Aug 25) as a gaggle of about 25 overseas vacationers from a number of nationalities have been exploring ice caves when 4 individuals have been hit by ice.
Two individuals have been critically injured, one dying from their accidents on the scene of the accident, one other taken by helicopter to a hospital within the capital, reportedly in a secure situation.
Numerous rescuers labored all through the afternoon and into the night trying to find the 2 lacking individuals. The operation was paused after darkish as a result of harmful circumstances however will resume within the morning, police stated.
Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that efforts to move tools and personnel as much as the glacier had confirmed tough as a result of rugged terrain and reducing via the ice was principally completed by hand with chain saws.
Native information website Visir stated the group was on an organised ice cave tour and have been accompanied by a information however most individuals have been outdoors the cave when it collapsed. The ice cave is a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers.
The collapse was doubtless not associated to a volcanic eruption in southeast Iceland on Friday, round 300km away from the glacier.
