Pipe line
A man in the Russian city of Kursk has been saved from certain death after surviving a day trapped in the city's underground heating system - Representational Image Tim Boyle/Getty Images

A Russian man had a near death experience after he fell into the underground heating system and spent a whole day there. The man, who has since been rescued, told his rescuers that he was in an intoxicated state and does not remember falling into the confined space.

He was reportedly spotted by local children in Kursk, where the incident took place on Monday (18 December). The city authorities are conducting an investigation into the case.

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According to RT News, a group of children heard strange noises coming from an underground location and on following the source of the cries, they spotted a human eye and a finger of a person, calling out for help. The children saw the man through a hole beneath layers of concrete and frozen ground.

They informed the authorities who immediately rushed to the spot. The rescuers said they found a man in his 40s stuck in the subterranean pipe network. This pipe delivers hot water to Kursk residents and during winter, the heat in the pipe may rise up to 130 degrees Celsius. The heat is enough to burn a person alive, the website noted.

The hours long operation was filmed by RT's Ruptly video agency, which showed rescuers cutting through a cement slab in the ground using a concrete-cutting saw. They also used a hammer to break the rods that were obstructing the way for the man to come out.

The man, when pulled out of the small hole, was only wearing his underpants. He told rescuers that he was forced to remove his clothes as the place he was stuck in was very small, just enough for a small child.

He added that he could not recall how he ended up in that underground space and spent an entire day searching for a way out. Rescuers said he was fortunate to have come out alive as the heat generated by the pipeline is enough to burn a person to death. He was saved from major damage from the heated pipes because the area he was stuck in was insulated and the temperature of the water flowing through the pipes was not at the highest, they reportedly said.

However, the man still sustained some burn injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.