Lao and Thai rescue teams, along with villagers from Phanchai, Longcheng district, Xaisomboun province, are on the 7th day of an operation to rescue 7 people trapped in a local cave.
The group entered the cave to prospect for gold on 20/5 and became trapped when heavy rains caused flash floods, blocking their exit. According to the Lao news agency, they are stranded deep inside the cave, clinging to a high rock ledge where air circulates in the mountainous region near Long Tieng in Xaisomboun province, an area known for its vast valleys and rich mineral deposits.
Divers navigate narrow, waterlogged passages in the mountainous cave near Long Tieng on 25/5. Video: Facebook/Chakkit Taengtang
On 25/5, two Thai divers and a Finnish expert, who participated in the dramatic rescue of a youth football team from a Thai cave in 2018, joined the Xaisomboun operation.
According to the Metta Tham Kalasin (MTK) Command and Coordination Center, one of the units coordinating the rescue operation, divers must traverse a 340-meter flooded section of the cave to reach the trapped group.
"Some sections are only 60 cm wide, so rescue personnel will have to crawl to get closer to the trapped group", MTK shared on Facebook.
Images from the scene show cables threaded through rock crevices to guide rescue forces to lower levels of the cave. They use helmets, respirators, and gas detection equipment to monitor oxygen levels and toxic gases inside the cave.
MTK rescue personnel pump water out from the cave entrance. Video: Facebook/MTK
A video recorded inside the cave by a Thai rescue worker and posted on Facebook shows divers moving through dark rock chambers, with water nearly touching the ceiling. Water is being pumped out of the cave to facilitate easier access.
Outside, a rescue team was dispatched to the mountain above the cave to survey 4 newly discovered skylights, assessing if they could provide an alternative route to reach the trapped individuals.
Bounkham Luanglath, leader of the Lao People's Rescue Volunteer Team, stated that one member of the gold prospecting group managed to escape before the exit flooded and informed authorities. According to Mr. Luanglath, local residents frequently visit this area to search for gold veins, despite government warnings about the risks.
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A member of the rescue force inside the cave. Photo: Facebook/Chakkit Taengtang
The rescue effort evokes memories of the 2018 incident, when 12 boys and their football coach were trapped deep inside a cave in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province for over two weeks after heavy rains flooded the entrance.
A large-scale rescue operation, involving veteran divers from Australia, the UK, and the US, safely brought everyone out, touching the hearts of millions worldwide.
Hong Hanh (According to CNN)
