RVK Newscast 163: Tragedy at Þingvallavatn

Welcome to Reykjavík Grapevine’s Newscast. Today editor-in-chief Valur Grettison (and Pollý) visits Þingvellir National Park to talk about a recent tragedy that occurred there, as well as bringing you the latest updates on Covid-19 and weather.

The government have brought in looser Covid-19 restrictions, with the aim being now to achieve herd immunity. The chief epidemiologist estimates that this can be achieved in 1 – 2 months. Up to 500 people can now gather for events, if everyone in attendance is wearing a mask. Read our latest Covid-19 report here.

You can now take walking tours of Reykjavík with Grapevine crewmembers Valur, Pollý and Bjartmar. Click here for more details.

The weather in Iceland has turned very wintery, with heavy snowfall – as you can see in this video! Unusually, there was a red weather warning for the Capital Area on Monday, leading to schools being closed. Since then there has also been electrical storms in various areas of the country, which is a rare phenomenon in Iceland. Read more here.

And lastly, a tragic aircraft crash has resulted in the deaths of four people in Iceland. The plane was found, after a massive search effort, in Þingvallavatn. Divers are now working to retrieve the bodies, but this is a challenging and complicated task. The aircraft’s pilot, Haraldur Diego, was a well-known and respected pilot. Many tributes have already been posted online, including from photographers such as Chris Burkard, who he had worked closely with in the past. You can read our reporting on the incident here.

We at Reykjavík Grapevine would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of all of these individuals.

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