Associated Press Authorities in Iceland have reportedly called off the search for two missing tourists after an ice cave suddenly collapsed during a guided tour. One person died at the scene and two others are believed to be missing following the tragic incident on Sunday. Another victim was taken to a local hospital with “serious injuries” and is currently in stable condition.
On August 25, Icelandic police force Lögreglan á Suðurlandi reported in a Facebook post: BBC) It was reported that an ice cave suddenly collapsed at around 15:00 local time while a group of 25 tourists from various countries were visiting the Breidamerkurjökull glacier.
Following the collapse, authorities confirmed that in addition to the deceased victim and injured party, there were 21 other members of the group. They began searching for two tourists believed to be missing, but called it quits on Monday. After law enforcement reviewed the tour operator's records, it was discovered that there were only 23 people on the tour instead of 25.
The other 21 members of the party were “unharmed and taken to a mass aid centre”, Lögreglan á Suðurlandi said in a statement. Authorities searched for the two ghost party members until Sunday evening, when they announced they were halting operations until Monday morning due to “very difficult” weather conditions at the scene.
“It's hard to get equipment there… It's bad. Everything is done by hand,” said local police chief Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson BBCHe added that weather conditions were “moderate” on Sunday morning and there was no indication that the tour would have to be cancelled.
“Ice cave tours take place almost all year round,” Rúnarsson explained. “There are experienced and strong mountain guides who organize these trips. It's always possible to be unlucky. I trust these people to assess the situation; when it's safe or not to go, and that good work has been done there over time. This is living land, so anything can happen.”
At around 9:30am local time on Monday, there were around “50 or 60” people helping with the manual search “because machinery could not be used” due to the terrain. The search was terminated a few hours later after passenger records were reviewed.
The Breiðamerkurjökull glacier's terminus is “one of the largest in Iceland,” the U.S. Geological Survey reports. It flows from Vatnajökull, the country's “largest glacier.”