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Europe

New tunnels dug in frantic search for Spain toddler trapped in well

By Paulina Dedaj Fox News
Published

Jose Rosello (left), father of Julen who fell down a well, crying Wednesday as rescue efforts continue to find the boy in Totalan, southern Spain. (JORGE GUERRERO/AFP/Getty Images)

Efforts to find the 2-year-old boy who fell down a well in Southern Spain over the weekend have intensified as search teams started to dig an alternate tunnel in the hopes of reaching the bottom of the narrow and deep borehole.

Yulen Garcia, also identified as Julen Rosello in other media reports, was with his parents, José Rosello and Vicky García, Sunday afternoon at a park in the mountainous area near the town of Totalan.

Rescuers say the boy wandered off and fell into a 330-foot well that was bored last month but was left unmarked and uncovered.

Rescuers believe the boy fell into the 100-meter-deep well after walking away from his parents. (Malaga Fire Brigade)

Almost five days have passed since the toddler disappeared and rescuers have made new efforts to reach the boy.

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Search teams, including some experts who helped to rescue the 33 trapped Chilean minors in 2010, reportedly started digging one vertical and one horizontal tunnel next the shaft where Yulen was thought to be.

Officials showing an excavation map during efforts to find the boy Thursday. (JORGE GUERRERO/AFP/Getty Images)

Rescuers have shifted focus primarily to the vertical tunnel over fears that the horizontal tunnel could trigger a landslide or collapse the existing shaft, The Daily Express reported.

Rescue crews on Monday were able to send a robotic camera only about 200 feet into the hole until it became too narrow to go any further. They said they spotted a bag of candy the toddler was carrying, but did not see him.

The opening of the well is no wider than 10 inches in diameter

Officials have not said if the boy is alive or dead but Civil Guard spokesman Bernardo Molto told reporters that investigators' priorities have been "searching, locating and rescuing the boy."

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Yulen reportedly screamed as he fell down the well, but has not been heard since.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.