Avalanche Closes Road in North Iceland

An avalanche fell onto Ring Road 1 in Ljósavatnsskarð pass by Ljósavatn, North Iceland, shortly before 9 pm last night, mbl.is reports. The lake is located east of Akureyri.  

A person, who was driving eastward along the road when the avalanche fell, drove the  car into the avalanche, but escaped unharmed, as did the passengers. The vehicle got stuck in the snow, but rescue workers came to the aid of the driver and passengers and got them out of the car.

Visibility was poor in the area at the time. It was windy and snowing. According to police, the driver most likely didn’t see the avalanche for that reason.

The avalanche covers a 500-m (550-yd) stretch of the Ring Road. The road through Ljósavatnsskarð remains closed this morning. The nearby Víkurskarð mountain pass is closed as well. Several roads in North Iceland were closed overnight.

The Northeast Iceland Police Department warns that there is a risk of avalanches in many areas.

Please check road.is for information on road closures  and safetravel.is for travel conditions. For weather updates, go to en.vedur.is.