Landslide in cave Sardinia, digging in the tunnel where the speleologist is

Operations continue to save the 31-year-old speleologist from Sassari who was trapped in the Gorropeddu cave, in Urzulei.

The rescuers, working since yesterday afternoon and throughout the night, this morning cleared the entrance to the cavity and made the access walls safe to avoid further collapses and arrived at the tunnel where the young speleologist, alive and conscious, has been blocked for 20 hours, after the landslide that surprised him while he was exploring the cave.

The technicians in action (48 from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue of Sardinia, together with 30 specialized firefighters Usar-M, Saf and Tas, and the support of the Civil Protection of Dorgali) have freed the entrance to the cavity from the boulders and are now proceeding with the delicate manual removal of the material blocking the tunnel in which the speleologist is located, still trapped under the debris. The operations take place in an extremely restricted environment, with a work space of approximately 1.5 meters by 1.5 metres, characterized by highly unstable conditions.

Proceeding with the excavation and removal of the material, the rescuers must consolidate the walls by positioning containment boards, to avoid further subsidence and allow advancement in safer conditions.

The arrival of a helicopter is expected shortly which will transport further materials and equipment necessary to make the environment safe, with the aim of allowing rescuers to reach the man and proceed with the removal of the earth and stones under which he is stuck.