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Rescuers Reach Five of Seven Villagers Trapped in Flooded Laos Cave
Laotian and Thai teams located five men inside a flooded abandoned gold mine on Thursday after they had been trapped for a week. Two others remain missing as search efforts continue.
May 27, 7:52 AM·1m read3 sources
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Rescue teams from Laos and Thailand reached five of seven villagers who had been trapped for a week inside a flooded cave in central Laos. The men were found on Thursday afternoon at 16:30 local time, according to Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong. Footage released by the Thai rescue team MTK Command and Control Center shows divers emerging from the water and locating the group on a rock inside the cave.
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The five men were seen crouching together as rescuers explained plans to drain the cave. Two villagers remain unaccounted for, and search efforts are continuing. Bounkham Luanglath of the Laotian organization Rescue Volunteer for People told the Associated Press that the search for the missing men would continue.
"I'm still shaking," he said in a voice message. " The cave system is narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50 cm wide, and extends roughly 300 m from the entrance, rescuers said.
The seven men entered the abandoned gold mine on 20 May to search for gold deposits and wildlife. Heavy rain caused flash flooding that blocked the exit. The cave is located about 120 km north of the capital Vientiane in Xaysomboun province. The area is not owned by any individual, and locals sometimes dig there for food, according to Laotian rescuer Baeng.
Specialist rescue diver Mikko Paasi from Finland noted the hazards inside the cave, including constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse risks, and the possibility of contaminated air. >"We've found five people alive and all safe. " — Rescue Volunteer for People, social media post Kengkach Bangkawong previously took part in the 2018 rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand's Chiang Rai province.
