An American tourist was killed and two others were seriously injured in an avalanche in northern Iceland, police in the Nordic country announced on Friday (April 8).
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The three Americans, all born in 1988, were caught in a snowslide late Thursday afternoon while practicing mountaineering near the small village of Dalvik, rescuers said. “All three are experienced and well-equipped mountaineers. Two were seriously injured in the accident and one of them had already died when help arrived on the scene.“, said the police. One of the injured was taken to hospital in Akureyri, one of Iceland’s largest cities, less than 50 kilometers away. The other had to be airlifted to Reykjavik.
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The emergency call, made by one of the three climbers, was received Thursday evening shortly after 7:00 p.m. GMT and local time, reporting an avalanche in the Svarfadardalur mountain, near the small town of Skeid south of Dalvik. Some 130 members of the rescue team were deployed and first responders arrived on the scene around 45 minutes later. The avalanche hazard was considered “moderate(level 2 out of 5) and signs of snow instability had been detected in the sector.
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