"Simply bad luck"

Iceland: Tourist killed in ice cave collapse

One of the ice caves at Breiðamerkurjökull. At least one person was killed in the collapse.(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

At least one tourist has died in the collapse of an ice cave on a glacier in Iceland. Another person was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Reykjavik, but is in a stable condition, according to the Icelandic police. The accident was not foreseeable, said a police spokesman. 

Two other people, who were probably trapped under the ice, are still missing after the accident on the Breidamerkurjökull glacier.

Search called off during the night
The search for them was interrupted during the night due to the difficult and dangerous conditions and the darkness. It was to be resumed in the morning.

"You can always just be unlucky"
Tours in the ice caves are led by experienced guides and take place all year round, chief inspector Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson told local TV stations: "You can always have bad luck. But there are very experienced people here who normally know exactly when it's safe to go into the caves and when it's not. But this is a living island - something can always happen."

Rúnarsson also confirmed that the victims were foreign visitors. 

A video on Twitter shows the entrance to the ice cave - probably not for people with claustrophobia ...

The victims were part of a group of 25 foreign tourists who had been exploring the ice cave. Their nationalities remained unclear at first. Iceland, with its glaciers and geysers, volcanoes and waterfalls, is a popular destination for many outdoor tourists.

A popular natural attraction for tourists
Breidamerkurjökull in the south-east of the North Atlantic island is an offshoot of the Vatnajökull glacier. The spectacular Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon stretches out in front of it.

The ice cave is located on Breiðamerkurjökull, an offshoot of the Vatnajökull glacier (picture).(Bild: AFP)

The lake with its icebergs floating on the water is one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions. Numerous hikes over glacier tongues and through ice caves are offered in the region.