American dies in ice cave collapse during Iceland glacier tour

One American died and a second was injured after an ice cave popular with tourist groups collapsed in southern Iceland on Sunday afternoon, local police announced Monday.

In a statement, local police said emergency responders had been notified midafternoon Sunday that a group of tourists of various nationalities was visiting the ice cave - part of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier - with a guide when it suddenly cratered.

Local authorities identified the man who died as an American citizen. His name was not made public.

An American woman was also injured in the collapse and was transported by the Icelandic Coast Guard to a medical facility in Reykjavík. Police described her injuries as non-life-threatening and said she was in stable condition.

On Sunday, a search and rescue operation was organized to find two additional tourists who were believed to be trapped under the fallen ice. Local police called off the search Monday, determining that, in fact, nobody had been trapped under the ice. The police originally believed that 25 people had joined the tour, leaving two people unaccounted for on Sunday. Rescuers later confirmed that only 23 people had participated.

“Based on the information that was available, it was not considered defensible but to continue the search until it had been assured that no one was under the iceberg,” the police said, adding that other tourists in the area offered food and assistance during the search.

The Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is part of Vatnajökull National Park, encompassing more than 4,600 square miles. The region is known for its geological diversity and the presence of both glaciers and volcanoes. Some volcanoes are covered entirely by glaciers, according to the park’s website.

Tourism from the United States to Iceland has risen sharply over the past decade. American citizens made up nearly 30 percent of all tourists to the country in 2023, according to data from the Icelandic Tourist Board.