Monday was the third day of intense search after two cavers who got trapped in the Wielka Śnieżna cave, the largest one in Poland. The cavers got stuck inside after a narrow tunnel flooded with water, blocking their exit. There's still no contact with the missing speleologists.
"The rescue operation is still under way, even though the chances to save the cavers are low," Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (TOPR) informed on Monday.
The chief of the TOPR group, Jan Krzysztof, said that this is by far the most difficult rescue mission in the history of the cave.
TOPR also said it had not yet been possible to establish contact with the two cavers and concern was growing due to their long exposure to extreme conditions.
The cavers are members of a speleologic club from Wrocław. They were exploring the lesser-known caverns and corridors.
Jan Krzysztof said that the cavers were very well prepared to such descent.
Rescuers used explosives to open a route to access the two but the process is very difficult as the blasts leave high level of carbon monoxide that makes it impossible for the rescuers to enter the cave.
Furthermore, they need to remove the rubble out of the cave which is also very complicated and time-consuming.
The Wielka Śnieżna cave is located in the Tatra Mountains and was discovered in 1959 by cavers from Zakopane.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters, PAP