2.3 km connection under construction by Selmer suffered fire emergency on 29th June, 1999 with 200 m completed. August 1999.Selmer reports 2.3 km-long, 70.5 sq m excavated section main tunnel well advanced in porphyry and basalt, with 200 m remaining to hole through. Work proceeding on 300 m-long x 35 sq m escape tunnel and 370 m-long ventilation drift to connect with proposed 180 m-deep x 4 m-diameter raise bored shaft. Water ingress sealed by large-scale grouting using Craelius truck-mounted unit to inject a planned 2,370 t of cement. Support will comprise 13,000 x 3 m-long Orsta Stahl rockbolts set in epoxy resin together with 4,770 sq m of shotcrete. All drilling for blasting, rockbolts and grouting by Atlas Copco Boomer 353S and anfo charging by Dyno truck. Unique new radio-controlled ventilation system automatically adjusts fan speed to air quality. Visit www.selmer.no and www.atlascopco.com Sept 2000.