An American man has died in South Iceland after a collapse of ice while he was on a glacier tour, according to police.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, also left a female tourist injured. She was taken to the hospital but is not in critical condition. Both individuals were US citizens and were traveling together.
Initial reports suggested that 25 people were on the tour and that two others might have been trapped in the Breidamerkurjökull glacier.
However, rescuers, who worked for most of the day and night, found no additional victims after clearing the ice. The police later corrected the number of participants to 23.
The ice collapse happened while the group was visiting an ice cave with a guide. Emergency services were alerted to the incident just before 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The search for the missing individuals continued until midnight and resumed the next morning. Over 200 first responders took part in the operation, which involved manually breaking down and moving the ice.
Police have expressed gratitude to the search and rescue teams and tourists who provided assistance with accommodation and food during the effort.
Chief Superintendent Rúnarsson stated that there was no indication that the tour should not have occurred. “Ice cave tours happen almost year-round,” he explained.
“These are experienced and capable mountain guides. It’s always possible to encounter unfortunate circumstances.”
The collapse happened while tourists were standing in a ravine between cave mouths. Witness Scott Stevens from Austin, Texas, described the chaotic scene to The New York Times.
He recounted hearing a loud boom and seeing guides rushing to help the injured. “It was very surreal,” Stevens said, adding that the experience was unsettling and disorganized.
Breidamerkurjökull is a glacial tongue extending from the Vatnajökull glacier to the Jökulsárlón lagoon, known for its ice caves and popular among tour groups.
Source-BBC
