Tragedy on Icelandic glacier leaves one dead, two missing

At least one person died, and two are still missing after a partial collapse of a cave on the Breidamerkurjokull glacier in southern Iceland.

Rescuers received the first emergency calls about the dangerous situation in the ice cave just after 11 AM Eastern Time on Sunday. A group of about 25 tourists from various countries around the world was exploring the cave when falling ice stalactites struck them.

Pieces of ice seriously injured two people exploring the ice cave. One died at the scene, and the other was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Reykjavik, where 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 about 100 people, including rescuers, speleologists, police officers, and civil service workers. 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 the uneven terrain. Additionally, clearing passages through the ice required manual work using chainsaws.

One of the tourists who previously explored the cave told RUV that a loud crack was heard when they surfaced. The man said the cave was about 10 to 16 feet deep, but he learned about the accident only from the media after returning to the hotel.

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 36 to 48 cubic miles of ice.