Iceland rescuers search for missing plane carrying three tourists

Plane was last tracked at a distance of about 50 kilometres from the capital Reykjavik

A view of the landscape around Reykjavik, Iceland. Reuters

Two helicopters, several planes and about 500 rescuers on Friday scoured a snow-laden area in Iceland where a small tourist plane has been missing for more than a day.

The Cessna C172 with an Icelandic pilot and three foreign tourists hasn't been heard from since taking off from the capital Reykjavik on Thursday morning for the Golden Circle in the country's south-west.

“The flight conditions were good. We haven't received any distress signal or an alert,” coastguard spokesman Asgeir Erlendsson said.

The plane was due to return to Reykjavik two hours later.

The coastguard said the pilot was a local man in his 50s while the three foreign passengers were younger.

It did not specify their nationalities.

The plume from the active crater and part of the 4,6 square kilometre lava field are seen from a mountain near the eruption site in Fagradalsfjall, Iceland. The volcanic eruption near the capital Reykjavik is still going strong six months after lava began flowing. AFP

Visitors watch a lava flow bubbling from a tunnel near the crater, in Geldingadalir valley. AFP

The volcano slowly oozes lava at times, then spurts like a geyser and spits rocks at intervals. AFP

A man takes a picture as lava flows from the volcano. Now officially named Fagradalshraun, or 'beautiful valley of lava' after the nearby Mount Fagradalsfjall, the volcano rose up from a fissure in the ground. AFP

The eruption has now become Iceland's longest since the 1960s.

The volcano has so far spewed out almost 143 million cubic metres of lava. AFP

While thousands of curious onlookers have been captivated by the mesmerising spectacle playing out near Mount Fagradalsfjall since March 19 - Iceland's sixth eruption in 20 years - experts say a six-month eruption is not extraordinary. AFP

A couple sitting on a hill watch as the Fargradalsfjall volcano spews molten lava. Getty Images

Lava flows from the volcano. AFP

“We are basing our research on information gleaned from telephone conversations and air traffic control,” the spokesman said, and added that the plane was last tracked at a distance of about 50 kilometres from the capital.

About 700 rescuers, including members of the police and the coastguard as well as a Danish air force plane took part in search operations on Thursday.

Officials said the plane may have crashed over Thingvellir National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site about 50 kilometres east of Reykjavik that contains Iceland’s second-largest lake.

Asgrimur Larus Asgrimsson, head of operations for Iceland's coastguard, said that mobile phone data “has given us a reason to narrow the search area down to the Thingvellir area".