Iceland cave collapse: One dead, two missing after tragedy strikes group visiting Breidamerkurjokull glacier

At least one person has died and two others are missing after an ice cave partially collapsed as a group of tourists visited the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in southern Iceland.

In a statement posted on social media, police say first responders received a call before 3pm on Sunday saying a group of about 25 foreign tourists from several nationalities were exploring ice caves at the glacier when four people were hit by ice.

Two people were seriously injured, one dying from their injuries at the scene, another person was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Reykjavik, reportedly in a stable condition.

A large number of rescuers — by some reports, up to 100 — worked throughout the afternoon and into the evening searching for the two missing people. The operation was paused after dark due to the dangerous conditions but will resume in the morning, police said.

Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that efforts to transport equipment and personnel up to the glacier had proven difficult due to the rugged terrain and cutting through the ice was mostly done by hand with chainsaws.

Local media reported that two helicopters from the country’s coastguard had been dispatched to the scene, and that ambulances and police had also been called to the scene.

Local news site Visir said the group was on an organised ice cave tour and were accompanied by a guide but most people were outside the cave when it collapsed.

The ice cave is a near the glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon, which is a popular destination for tourists.

The collapse was likely not related to a volcanic eruption in southeast Iceland on Friday, around 300km away from the glacier.

Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report