Rollover crash and heavy traffic hit West Iceland after eclipse

One person was taken to Akranes Hospital after a car overturned in West Iceland on Wednesday, mbl.is reports. Traffic has also begun to build as people leave after the total solar eclipse.

Traffic in the western part of the country was comparable to heavy weekend traffic, according to Ásmundur Kristinn Ásmundsson, chief superintendent with the West Iceland police.

Police are working with rescue teams and the road administration to manage traffic and keep it moving. Web cameras in ports including Rif and Ólafsvík showed large numbers of tourists on the move, Ásmundsson said.

Police were also dealing with people climbing Kirkjufell, a mountain in Grundarfjörður. Ásmundsson described the activity as extremely dangerous, noting that a fatal accident had occurred there. Police, medical personnel and rescue workers were at the mountain assessing what could be done.

Ásmundsson was in Akranes during the eclipse. He said it became completely dark, while seagulls began calling, but the sun was not visible there.