Search Called Off for Missing Tourists Trapped in Ice Cave Collapse

The Associated Press reported that authorities in Iceland have called off their search for two missing tourists following the sudden collapse of an ice cave during a guided tour. Following the tragic event on Sunday, one person was reported dead at the scene while two others were believed to be missing. Another “seriously injured” victim was taken to a local hospital where they are now reportedly in stable condition.

On August 25, Icelandic police force Lögreglan á Suðurlandi reported in a Facebook post (via BBC ) that a group of 25 tourists from various countries had been touring the Breidamerkurjökull glacier when an ice cave suddenly collapsed just before 3 p.m. local time.

Following the collapse, authorities confirmed that 21 members of the group were accounted for in addition to the deceased victim and injured party. They began searching for the two tourists believed to be missing, but on Monday called off their efforts. After law enforcement examined the tour operator’s records, it was discovered that there had been only 23 people on the tour as opposed to 25.

The Lögreglan á Suðurlandi’s statement noted that the other 21 members of the party were “uninjured and being taken to a mass aid center.” Authorities searched for the two phantom party members well into 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 being done by hand," local police chief Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson told BBC . He added that weather conditions on Sunday morning were “fair,” and that there was no indication the tour should have been canceled.

"Ice cave tours happen almost the whole year," Rúnarsson explained. "These are experienced and powerful mountain guides who run these trips. It's always possible to be unlucky. I trust these people to assess the situation—when it's safe or not safe to go, and good work has been done there over time. This is a living land, so anything can happen.”

As of Monday at around 9:30 a.m. local time, there were about “50 or 60” people helping to search “by hand, as machinery cannot be used" due to the terrain. A few hours later, after reviewing passenger records, the search was called off.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the tip of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is "one of the largest in Iceland.” It flows from Vatnajökull, the country's "largest glacier."