A tense search in central Laos has led to the rescue of five villagers trapped for more than a week in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, rescue officials said Wednesday. Two others remain missing, and the search for them continues. The group had entered the narrow cave—known locally as a spot for gold hunting, an activity authorities repeatedly discourage as dangerous—on May 19, before heavy rains triggered flash flooding that cut off their exit. The AP reports one must hike a steep and rocky trail for 2.5 miles to get to the cave, whose entrance is just wide enough for a body to squeeze through.
The BBC quotes specialist rescue diver Mikko Paasi as saying rescuers were required to "navigate hundreds of meters of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards and high risk of contaminated air quality" within the cave. Reuters reports body-camera video released by the Metta Tham Kalasin Command and Control Center shows rescuers coming upon people perched on a rock above murky water, their headlamps cutting through the darkness.
Celebratory footage taken aboveground captures people hugging and dropping to their knees as news of the rescue was shared. "I'm still shaking. Our team made it happen," said Bounkham Luanglath of Rescue Volunteer for People, which has been coordinating with local authorities. Among the rescuers were Thai divers, including some who took part in the 2018 Thai cave rescue.
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