A German man in his 30s died while inside an ice cave near Hrafntinnusker, central Iceland, yesterday, when a section of the cave’s ceiling collapsed. This is reported in all the main media today.
The man was inside the cave with his travel companion at around 9 a.m. yesterday morning, when chunks of ice came loose from the ceiling of the cave and fell on top of him. He is believed to have died instantly. Two members of a search and rescue team were located nearby and were able to assist with moving the man’s body out of the cave.
The Hrafntinnusker ice caves are a popular tourist spot in Iceland. According to the head of the Dagrenning search and rescue team in Hvolsvöllur, south Iceland, tourists are severely at risk inside the caves during the summer. Chunks of ice weighing hundreds of kilograms are liable to fall from the caves’ ceilings. In his view, the posting of clear warnings alerting travelers to the danger is long overdue.
