Couple Found Dead In Sólheimasandur, Police Investigating

A man and a woman in their twenties were found dead, about 150 metres apart from one another, near the wreckage of the DC-3 airplane on Sólheimasandur, South Iceland, yesterday. Police are investigating the matter and, as they were both Chinese nationals, their embassy has been alerted, Vísir reports.

While the cause of death is still not officially determined, it is possible that they perished from exposure, and there are some clues that point to what may have been their final moments.

“We know that they were seen on security cameras in Hvolsvellir [which is west of the scene] on Monday, at around three in the afternoon, and on Monday evening and Tuesday the weather was really bad,” South Iceland chief of police Oddur Árnason told reporters. “This gives us some indications but we don’t want to jump to pre-emptive conclusions.”

The car that it is believed the couple had rented was found parked in a parking lot at Sólheimasandur, and sources close to Vísir say the windows had been broken. It is not known if the couple were in the car at the time the windows had been broken, nor if they had been in the area during the storm. Mobile phone connection in the area is spotty at times and, had they been caught in the storm, could have had difficulty calling for help.

Police are still investigating the matter, and the Chinese embassy has been notified of the identities of the deceased.