World News for Students of English

17-06-2014 07:00

More than 100 rescuers are attempting to free a man who is trapped in a cave 1,000 metres deep in southern Germany.

The 52 year-old man, who is one of the researchers who discovered the cave, was left with injuries to his head and chest after rocks fell on him on Sunday.

He can’t climb back to the surface by himself, as there are steep shafts and narrow tunnels.

“It’s also dark inside, but there are a lot of winding corridors, there are ravines filled with water and very steep places where abseiling is necessary. There is also a permanent danger of rocks falling which is why the operation is so complicated.”

The man is trapped in one of the most difficult and deepest caves in Europe and it took his friend 12 hours to climb out and call for help.

A specialist Swiss cave rescue team has now reached him, but it could be days before they see the surface.

Difficult words: attempt (try), shaft (passage), winding (twisted), corridor (passage), ravine (deep, narrow gap), abseil (go down a cliff by sliding down a rope), surface (land outside of the cave).

Source: www.itn.co.uk