An ice wall in Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park came crashing down just as a group of tourists was exploring the area. Rumors quickly spread that two tourists were missing, but the police are calling out those rumors—no one’s lost after all.
According to 9 News on Wednesday (28/8/2024), Icelandic police have officially halted the search for the two tourists who were initially thought to be missing after the ice cave collapse.
Why the sudden stop? Turns out, someone got their numbers mixed up. The police double-checked with the tour operators and found out that there were only 23 people on the tour, not 25 as previously believed.
Tragically, one person did lose their life, and another was seriously injured on Sunday when the cave collapsed just before 3:00 PM local time. Both victims were American citizens, according to the police.
“No one was found hidden under the ice,” they added, putting to rest the fears that more people were trapped.
Rescue teams had been working tirelessly, using their hands to dig through the remains of the collapsed ice cave, all while fearing the worst—that more people were buried underneath.
The search was called off overnight because conditions became too dangerous, but the team was back at it around 7:00 AM local time on Monday.
Vatnajökull National Park is home to a massive glacier covering 7,900 square kilometers. Breidamerkurjokull, a section of Vatnajokull, feeds into the Jokulsarlon Lagoon, where icebergs constantly break away from the glacier.
Ice caves are a hot ticket for tourists visiting Iceland, with tour operators offering the chance to explore the glacier’s interior, marvel at the stunning blue hues, and admire the intricate ice patterns.
Glaciers cover about 11 percent of Iceland, the island nation in the North Atlantic, situated just south of the Arctic Circle.