Ice cave collapse in Iceland kills 1 tourist, and 2 are still missing

BERLIN (AP) — At least one person has died and two others are still missing after an ice cave partially collapsed as a group of tourists was visiting the Breidamerkurjokull glacier in southern Iceland.

In a statement posted on social media, local police say first responders received a call shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday as a group of about 25 foreign tourists from several nationalities were exploring ice caves when four people were hit by ice.

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

A large number of rescuers 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 chain saws.

Local news site Visir said the group was on an organized ice cave tour and were accompanied by a guide but most people were outside the cave when it collapsed. The ice cave is a popular destination for tourists.

The collapse was likely not related to a volcanic eruption in southeast Iceland on Friday, around 300 kilometers (185 miles) away from the glacier.