Bridge put into the fissure: The water at the bottom might be 13 m deep
Rescue workers at work at Grindavík this morning. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Rescuers who participate in the search for the man who fell into a crater in Grindavík yesterday morning no longer need to use a basket to climb into the fissure.
The fire chief in Grindavík tells mbl.is that a bridge, which was picked up on the pier, has been placed and used by rescue workers to get down into the fissure, two at a time.
Water is at the bottom of the fissure.
The fissure is estimated to be 20-30 m deep and it broadens the further down you go and at the bottom there is water. The water is estimated to be approximately 13 meters deep and sub-water drones have been placed in the water. It is thought that the water is also deep.
A bridge has been put into the fissure to make the search easier and safer. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
20 barrels of sand and rocks moved from the fissure
Yesterday, trucks carried up to 20 barrels of sand and rocks from the fissure to prevent collapse and the decision to install a bridge is part of that action.
The edge of the fissure has also been fed with a net to prevent collapse and improve access to it.
Very difficult circumstances
The search for the man has not yet been successful, but the search has been continuing since around noon yesterday.
The situation is very difficult but the fissure is narrow and difficult for rescue workers but their fullest safety is ensured according to fire chief, Einar Sveinn Jónsson.
Underwater drone used
An underwater drone is now used in the search for the man who is feared to have fallen into a crevice in Grindavík while working on soil compression after working on filling cracks yesterday.
According to Jón Þór Víglundsson, the information officer for Landsbjörg, it was not considered safe to send divers into the water in the fissure.
The underwater drone shows that visibility is low and conditions are difficult for divers.
“But there have been a few people who have been in the fissure searching,” he says, “but never too many at once.”
Today around 70 people have been working on the rescue mission. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Tricky situation
Seventy rescue workers are currently involved in operations on the scene, but 200 people have participated in operations since yesterday morning. Emergency responders on the scene had shift shifts at midnight and then again this morning.
According to Víglundsson, Landsbjörg is “starting to stretch a little east of South Iceland and north of the capital region” after specialized rescue teams in mountain and rubble rescue. The situation on the scene is tricky.
“The fissure is not clear cut. It’s like entering a cave.”
