Rome, Aug 5 (AFP) Thirty Italian rescue workers were today attempting to extract an injured potholer trapped in a mountain cave on the border with Slovenia, officials said.

Rescuers described it as a "difficult operation" which was expected to last until at least midnight.

The 33-year-old caver from Trieste in northeastern Italy fell 20 metres (65 feet) yesterday as he explored a gallery 200 metres below the summit of Mount Canin.

According to the Italian press, he is conscious but suffering from stomach pain.

A team of specialists were using small quantities of explosives to enlarge a route out of the cave and enable them to get a stretcher through.

A doctor and a nurse reached him late yesterday. (AFP) CPS

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)