Tourist dies and two others missing after ice collapse at Icelandic glacier

A tourist has died and two more are missing after an ice cave collapsed during a tour group visit to a glacier in southern Iceland on Sunday.

In a statement posted on social media, local police said that a group of about 25 tourists were exploring ice caves when four people were hit by ice at the Breidamerkurjokull glacier shortly before 3pm.

One person died from their injuries at the scene of the accident while two were seriously injured, police said.

Another tourist was taken to hospital in Reykjavik by helicopter and is now in a stable condition.

A large rescue operation is underway to search for two tourists who remain missing.

All of the tourists on the trip were foreign, police confirmed.

Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that efforts to transport equipment and rescue staff up to the glacier had proven difficult due to the rugged terrain.

Rescuers were forced to cut through the ice with chain saws, with efforts paused on Sunday evening due to difficult weather conditions.

Local police chief Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson said: “The conditions are very difficult on the ground.

“It's in the glacier. It's hard to get equipment there... It's bad. Everything is being done by hand.”

The group of tourists had been on an organised ice cave tour and were accompanied by a guide, according to local news website Visir.

Most of the group were outside the cave when it collapsed.

Speaking on Icelandic TV, Chief Superintendent Kristján Rúnarsson said there was no reason to suggest the trip should not have taken place.

“"Ice cave tours happen almost the whole year," he said.

"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."

The glacier where the accident happened lies close to the glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon, which is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations.

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