BANGKOK, Thailand — Rescue teams have successfully pulled five people from a flooded cave in Laos after they were trapped for more than a week while prospecting for gold, authorities and volunteer rescuers said on Saturday.
The rescued men were among seven Lao nationals who entered a cave in Xaisomboun Province before rising floodwaters cut off their escape route. While five have now been rescued, efforts are continuing to locate and recover the remaining two individuals who are still missing.
According to Thai cave diver Kengkard Bongkawong, who is participating in the rescue operation, four of the trapped men were brought out of the cave on Saturday, following the rescue of another survivor late Friday.
Video footage released by volunteer rescue teams showed the rescued men emerging from the cave wearing mud-covered clothing and headlamps. The survivors appeared emotional, with some visibly overwhelmed and shedding tears of relief after enduring days underground.
The five men had been located by rescue teams on Wednesday but remained trapped due to challenging conditions inside the flooded cave system.
Rescue officials said operations would continue until the two remaining missing individuals are found.
The rescue effort has drawn support from an international team of experienced cave divers and emergency responders.
Thai volunteer rescuers joined the operation last Sunday, while additional specialists from Finland, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and Australia later joined the mission.
Several members of the international team previously participated in the famous 2018 rescue of a youth football team trapped in the flooded Tham Luang Cave, an operation that captured global attention and showcased the dangers and complexities of cave rescues.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the condition of the rescued survivors, but the operation remains ongoing as teams work to locate the two individuals still unaccounted for.
Source: Reuters
