One dead and two missing after ice cave collapses onto group of tourists

At least one person has died and two others are still missing after an ice cave partially collapsed as a group of tourists in southern Iceland.

A group of 25 foreign tourists were visiting the Breioamerkurjokull glacier when four people were hit by ice around 3pm yesterday, local police said.

One person died at the scene while two others was seriously injured, with one 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 two missing people.

The operation was paused after dark due to the dangerous conditions but will resume in the morning, police said.

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.

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 – a popular destination for tourists – when it collapsed.

Around 100 people are working to rescue those missing, including all emergency services in Suðurland and the capital area.

But local officials say it has been difficult to special equipment to remove the ice.

Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, communications manager for Civil Defence, added the conditions are ‘extremely difficult’.

An emergency aid centre was opening in Hofgarð in Öræfi yesterday evening.

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