Rescue workers in Laos said Saturday they've evacuated four villagers trapped in a flooded cave for 10 days, the day after another one was successfully extracted. Two men remain missing. Lao and Thai rescue groups posted about the successful operation on social media, along with photos of the men lying on stretchers, wearing oxygen masks, and wrapped in foil blankets, per the AP. The villagers had reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by flash flooding that blocked their way out. One other villager escaped in time and alerted authorities to the seven left behind.
Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People said on its Facebook page that the water level inside the cave had receded low enough for the men to leave with divers who'd gone in to deliver food and water. The group said it will continue its search for the two who remain missing. The first man was safely evacuated on Friday, with rescuers noting that operation took about 30 minutes. Videos showed the moment he emerged from the water alongside a diver, catching his breath before struggling to crawl through a narrow, flooded passage and rising unsteadily to his feet.
The five men found alive on Wednesday were identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing, and Laen. The men had been supplied with water, soft food, and foil blankets to keep them warm, although videos shot inside the cave suggested their conditions had continued to deteriorate. Rescue teams from Laos and neighboring Thailand were joined by Japanese and Malaysian colleagues. Indonesian, French, and Australian specialists also reportedly arrived at the site in a rugged area in the central province of Xaisomboun, about 75 miles north of the capital, Vientiane.
In a video shot Friday, Thai rescuer Kengkaj Bongkawong of Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin detailed the challenge they're facing in the operation. The team has set up a station in a large chamber inside the cave, accessible only by navigating more than 200 yards of twisting, narrow, flooded passages with jagged walls. From there, divers need to dive about 30 yards through a flooded tunnel before reaching the trapped men. Kengkaj said the team plans to explore an area deeper inside the cave, about 20 to 25 yards beyond where the survivors were found. However, he cautioned that that section is heavily flooded.
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