A Spanish speleologist has died in a caving accident in France

Two others who were with him escaped unhurt

A Spanish speleologist has died in a caving accident in the Eastern Pyrenees in France.

It happened on Saturday afternoon in a cave system near Opoul, at a depth of between 130 and 150 metres.

The 51 year old victim, who has not been named, was part of a group from the Granollers Speleologist Club, in Barcelona. He was with two companions, who escaped the accident uninjured.

The only information on what happened is that he may have been caught in a rock fall.

The area the group were exploring is described as unstable.

Source: Typically Spanish

'Regressive Evolution' In Cavefish: Natural Selection Or Genetic Drift

Cavefish (without eyes) and surface dwelling brethren.

"Regressive evolution," or the reduction of traits over time, is the result of either natural selection or genetic drift, according to a study on cavefish by researchers at New York University's Department of Biology, the University of California at Berkeley's Department of Integrative Biology, and the Harvard Medical School.

Previously, scientists could not determine which forces contributed to regressive evolution in cave-adapted species, and many doubt the role of natural selection in this process. Darwin himself, who famously questioned the role of natural selection in eye loss in cave fishes, said, "As it is difficult to imagine that eyes, although useless, could be in any way injurious to animals living in darkness, I attribute their loss wholly to disuse."

The research appears in the most recent issue of the journal Current Biology.

Simmering embers cool down - Team of cavers to continue exploration mission

The Meghalaya Adventures Association and the team of cavers, comprising 40 speleologists (caving experts) and scientists, put their foot down and decided to continue their exploration mission at Shnongrim ridge under Nongkhlieh area of the Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya.

At a meeting today with the coal traders, who are peeved with the association for filing a PIL in the Supreme Court to prevent unscrupulous mining, the cave experts, led by general secretary of the association Brian Kharpran Daly, put up a brave front. They asserted that cave exploration would continue at Shnongrim.

The coal trader’s delegation was led by one Balious Swer, secretary of Khlierieht sub-division of coalminers’ association.

Additional district magistrate F.M. Doph attended the meeting. When contacted, he said the consultations ended on a positive note and another round of talks would be held on Friday to decide on a final outcome.

The cavers, representing various caving organisations from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Scotland, the US and Germany, along with some local experts, are on a monthlong expedition.

Caving Expedition Asked to Leave Meghalaya

An international caving exploration in Shnongrim ridge under Nongkhlieh area of the Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya is in jeopardy following a threat to cavers by local coal traders. The cavers, comprising about 40 speleologists (caving experts) andscientists, might have to discontinue their expedition.

Last evening, a group of local coal traders led by S. Khyriem and Vinson Pala asked the cavers to “go back to their countries.” The contention of the coal traders was that the presence of the cavers had caused “concern” among residents of the area.

The incident is said to be a fallout of the public interest litigation (PIL) which has been filed by the Meghalaya Adventures Association in the Supreme Court to prevent unscrupulous mining activities in Shnongrim. The apex court has asked the Union and state governments, and the departments of environment and forest and mining to file their replies.

The situation in Shnongrim is said to be tense and the Meghalaya police have advised the cavers to call off their exploration “for the time being.” “We don’t want the international caving experts to be held responsible for anything and create any misunderstanding,” said director-general of police, W.R. Marbaniang. A police team as well as the additional district magistrate of Jaintia Hills has been rushed to Shnongrim ridge to prevent any untoward incident.

Six die in Canary Islands caving tragedy

Narciso H., one of the 24 people brought out alive
after the caving tragedy on the Canary Islands.

Their group was overcome by carbon monoxide on an underground expedition on Tenerife this weekend

Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six people who apparently suffocated to death while exploring underground caverns on Tenerife this weekend.

They were part of a caving expedition which entered the Barranco de Los Cochinillos cavern, in Los Silos, on Saturday.

It was made up of two groups, one from the Canaries Astrophysics Institute, and the other, members of the Tenerife Friends of Nature Association.

The tragedy seems to have happened when they mistook their route, and became trapped in the Piedra de los Cochinos, a 200 year old man-made gallery where temperatures reached 30 degrees Centigrade, and the volcanic terrain gave off toxic carbon dioxide gases.

One by one, they began to lose consciousness.

Red Bull Felix Cave Base Jump

Austrian adventurer and BASE jumper extraordinaire Felix Baumgartner again pushes back his personal borders when he plunges into Mamet Cave in Croatia's Velebit National Park, successfully freefalling and parachuting into the dark interior for a safe landing on the rugged cave floor. The jump, lasting only seconds, requires absolute timing to survive... this is undoubtedly the most challenging of Baumgartner's exploits so far.