Tragedy strikes Iceland glacier as cave collapse leaves one dead

Rescuers received the first emergency calls about the dangerous situation in the ice cave on Sunday, August 25. A group of about 25 tourists from various countries was exploring the cave when falling ice stalactites suddenly struck them.

Two people exploring the ice cave were seriously injured by falling ice. One died at the scene, and the other was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Reykjavik, and her condition is described as stable.

The search for the two missing persons continued throughout Sunday afternoon until evening. After nightfall, the operation had to be suspended, but, as reported by local police, the search resumed on Monday morning. On Sunday, the rescue effort involved a group of rescuers, speleologists, police officers, and civil service workers. A total of about 100 people were involved. Helicopters were also used to assist.

Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that transporting equipment and people to the glacier presented numerous difficulties. Among the main reasons cited was uneven terrain. Additionally, clearing passages through the ice required manual work using chainsaws.

One of the tourists who had previously explored the cave told RUV that a loud crack was heard when they surfaced, but he learned about the accident only from the media after returning to the hotel. According to the man, the cave was about 3 to 5 metres deep.

The Breidamerkurjokull glacier is located within Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park. Since 1989, the Vatnajökull ice cap, one of the largest on the continent, has lost about 150 to 200 cubic kilometres of ice.