Four More Men Rescued From Flooded Laos Cave

Four more men trapped in a semi-submerged cave in Laos were freed on Saturday, rescuers said, bringing the total rescued to five after one man was brought out the previous day. The men had been trapped for ten days inside a narrow cave system in the remote Xaysomboun province after flash floods struck while they searched for gold.

Seven Lao nationals had entered the cave more than ten days earlier.

Rescue teams from Laos and Thailand conducted the operation after water levels dropped enough for the men to move with divers. m. local time and were carried out on stretchers wrapped in foil blankets while receiving oxygen. The Thailand Rescue Diver Facebook page posted updates on the progress.

One rescuer said the team made it happen after the water receded sufficiently.

The five men were located in the terminal chamber roughly 300 meters from the entrance. A Finnish diver who participated in the 2018 Thai cave rescue described navigating hundreds of meters of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards, and the risk of contaminated air.

Search operations continue for the two men still missing. Officials said the five rescued men were found alive on Wednesday after seven days of searching. Rescuers stated they will keep looking for the remaining two inside the tight chambers.