Iceland: Collapsed ice cave kills American tourist

One American man has died and an American woman has been injured in Iceland after the Breiðamerkurjökull ice cave collapsed, Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported Monday.

The rescue operation, which began on Sunday evening, has now been completed. According to the police, no one is trapped under the ice, the public broadcaster reports.

A group of 23 tourists from several countries were exploring an ice cave in the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in southeastern Iceland when the incident occurred on Sunday, the broadcaster said.

The American couple were rescued on Sunday, but the man died at the scene, while the woman suffered injuries of unknown severity and was taken to a hospital in Reykjavik, RUV reported.

Authorities initially launched a large-scale search for two missing people, believing there were 25 tourists on the trip, RUV reported. They called off the search Monday after realizing the original group had only contained 23 tourists, all of whom have been found.

More than 200 rescuers took part in the operations and a huge amount of ice was broken up and moved, almost all by hand, RUV said, citing police. CNN has contacted police for details.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed the death of one American citizen and the injury of another, and said they were “ready to provide consular assistance.”

“We express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones for this loss,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesman did not provide details about the circumstances of the deaths and injuries or information about their identities. The State Department does not typically provide personal information about Americans killed or injured abroad.

According to the Associated Press, ice caves are a popular destination for visitors to Iceland, with tour operators offering clients the chance to “explore the inside of glaciers” and see the blue color and “stunning patterns” in the ice.

Glaciers cover about 11% of the territory of Iceland, an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean that sits on the southern edge of the Arctic Circle, AP reports. The largest is Vatnajokull, which covers 7,900 square kilometers (3,050 square miles). Breidamerkurjokull is a tongue of Vatnajokull that ends at Jokulsarlon Lagoon, where icebergs continually break off the glacier.

According to the US Geological Survey, Breiðamerkurjökull grew until the early 19th century, but since about 1930 the mountain has been melting due to global warming caused by fossil fuel pollution.

According to local news site Visir, the group that was at the cave when it collapsed was on an organized tour, accompanied by a guide. Most people were outside the cave when it collapsed, AP reports.

Moving rescue equipment and personnel to the glacier was difficult because of the rugged terrain, and rescuers had to cut through the ice with chainsaws, AP reported.

The glacier is about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from a volcano that erupted Friday on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Institute, Iceland is experiencing the effects of human-induced climate change and is warming about three times faster than the rest of the planet.

Reporting by CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Angela Fritz