Five rescued from flooded Laos cave, two still missing

VIENTIANE: Rescuers brought four more people out of a flooded cave in Laos on Saturday, Thai volunteer rescuers said, hours after another man was pulled out late on Friday. The five are among seven Lao nationals who entered the cave in Xaisomboun province to look for gold but were trapped for more than a week after rising water cut off their exit.

Two people were still missing. Kengkard Bongkawong, a Thai cave diver involved in the operation, said in a Facebook post on Saturday that all four of the trapped people had emerged from the cave. Video released by volunteers showed four Laotian men being led out with flashlights on their heads and mud-covered clothes. They appeared relieved, with some crying.

The five rescued men had been located by rescuers on Wednesday but remained trapped inside until the latest operation. Rescue officials said the search for the two missing people would continue.

A volunteer team from neighbouring Thailand joined the mission last Sunday. The rescue effort was later reinforced by divers from Finland, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and Australia, according to the volunteer group’s Facebook post. The international team included some rescuers who had taken part in the 17-day operation at Thailand’s flooded Tham Luang cave in 2018.