Rescue workers have been called to Móskarðshnúkar, a mountain just east of Mt. Esja, north of Reykjavík, in response to an avalanche which struck at about 13:00 today, RÚV reports.
Two men are currently missing, believed to have been buried or partly buried in the snow. Others on the scene witnessed the avalanche as it happened, and immediately alerted authorities.
Davíð Már Bjarnason, a spokesperson for the Landsbjörg rescue squad, told reporters at 13:15 that first responders were already on the way. He emphasised that time is of the essence when it comes to searches for avalanche survivors, and so witnesses are encouraged to participate in the search.
All capital area rescue workers have been deployed to the scene, which has included a search helicopter.
It is believed that this avalanche was relatively small, and occurred at an area that is popular for hiking. Mt. Esja, which is west of the area and overlooks Reykjavík, is also a very popular hiking spot, but can also pose its own dangers when hiking in the winter.
Caution is always advised, but especially in the winter, and SafeTravel contains detailed information on how to hike safely in Iceland any time of year.
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