Two Still Missing After Seven Men Trapped by Floods in Laos Cave

Five of seven local villagers trapped in a flooded cave in central Xaysomboun province have been rescued, while two remain missing deeper inside the tunnels. The men entered narrow passages on 20 May in search of gold. Flash floods prevented them from leaving.

The first man was freed by rescuers on Friday. Four more were freed after 10 days inside the cave. Four of the rescued men left the cave on Saturday after the water level lowered and freed themselves without assistance from rescuers.

An unverified video posted to social media showed cheers from rescuers and onlookers as the men emerged. Some of the freed men are now assisting search efforts from their hospital rooms by providing descriptions of deeper sections of the cave system. A Laotian rescue group said the survivors' information was considered substantial and was used to prepare a new search plan.

The cave system extends deep underground and measures around 50cm wide in some places. A fresh effort to locate the remaining two men was expected on Sunday. Flood water is being drained from the cave, according to Japanese rescue diver Yoshitaka Isaji.

He told the Associated Press that the passage used in Saturday's rescue efforts is currently impassable because a drainage pump has broken, though repair work is ongoing. A plan to pump out flood water from the tunnels failed earlier in the week. Specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France and Australia are assisting the searches.