Tourist dies and two more are missing after an ice cave collapsed at popular Iceland glacier
A TOURIST has died and two others have been missing after an ice cave collapsed inside a famous glacier.
Rescue operators have kicked off a massive search operation for both the people who are said to have been struck under thick sheets of ice.
The horror incident took place in Breiðamerkurjökull glacier – one of the top tourist places in the country.
A group of 25 people were on an organised tour of the glacier together with a guide when a wall of ice came crashing inside the cave.
Most of them were outside the place when the accident happened.
Four people got stuck under the ice, out of which two people are still missing.
One other person was found injured but has since been flown out to a hospital by an air ambulance.
It is understood he is in stable condition.
An extensive rescue operation including some 100 people is now underway to pull out the remaining two tourists.
Three helicopters from the Coast Guard and Danish Navy have been called out at the site along with all rescue services.
However, authorities say the conditions on the glacier are “extremely difficult”.
They have been struggling to get up special equipment to remove ice.
Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson, one of the police officers leading the rescue operation, told local media that rescue work was being carried out by bare hands – and no contact has been made so far with the two missing persons.
Due to the adverse climate conditions, the search operation has been called off for the night and will resume again tomorrow morning.
Authorities said in a statement: “A large number of rescuers and responders have been involved in the operation.
“The conditions for the search are difficult and it is now dark. It is not considered defensible due to the danger of the scene to continue the search at night. The search has therefore been postponed and will be resumed in the morning.”