Rescue operation in Sardinian cave continues on Monday
Italian rescue services are trying to reach a speleologist trapped near Urzulei after a cave-in.
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The rescue operation for a speleologist trapped in a cave on Sardinia since Sunday continued on Monday. Specialists are removing the material blocking the passage, while additional rescuers have been flown to the area by helicopter.
The man became trapped in Gorroppeddu cave near Urzulei, in Nuoro province. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, part of the cave wall collapsed on Sunday. The speleologist was about ten metres below ground level and could not get out unaided.
The rescue services reported on Sunday evening that the man was alive and conscious. A new medical assessment was not disclosed in reports on Monday. It therefore remains unclear how his condition developed during the night.
The operation is complicated because the collapsed passage has to be cleared by hand. The rescuers must also take unstable rocks and further movement into account. According to LaPresse, the debris is therefore being removed carefully and step by step.
Dozens of specialists from Italy’s national alpine and speleological rescue corps are taking part in the operation. The fire service and regional emergency services are also involved. The fire service has set up an advanced command post at the cave to coordinate the various teams and equipment.
The Italian air force has brought additional personnel to Sardinia. LaPresse reports that three specialised rescue technicians from central Italy and eight Sardinian technicians were flown in by helicopter. According to Italian reports, sixteen firefighters with experience in complex rescue operations have also been deployed.
The cave is in a difficult-to-reach area near Urzulei. This makes transporting people and equipment more difficult and limits the space available for larger machinery. The rescuers are therefore taking an approach that prioritises safety and preventing further collapses.
So far, it has not been reported when the speleologist can be reached or brought out. The available sources do confirm that the operation was still under way on Monday morning. New information about his medical condition or the further course of the operation must come from the Italian rescue services.
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The reporting is based on multiple publicly available Italian sources describing the same event and the ongoing rescue operation. Unknown medical information has been explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed A speleologist has been trapped since Sunday in Gorroppeddu cave near Urzulei on Sardinia. — ANSA and LaPresse report the same location and event. source
- confirmed The speleologist is about ten metres below ground level. — This is reported by ANSA and L’Unione Sarda. source
- confirmed The rescue operation continued on Monday 12 October. — LaPresse published an update on 12 October stating that the operation was still under way. source
- confirmed Additional rescue technicians were flown to Sardinia by helicopter. — LaPresse mentions three technicians from central Italy and eight Sardinian technicians. source
- confirmed According to Sunday’s reports, the man was alive and conscious. — ANSA reported this on Sunday evening, based on information from the rescuers. source
Editor's note
The collapse, location, depth and continuation of the rescue operation have been reported by multiple Italian sources. The current medical condition and the timing of any rescue remained unknown.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „sardinië urzulei”
- de Volkskrant — „sardinië urzulei”
- RTL Nieuws — „sardinië urzulei”