Laos cave rescue: Freed survivors aid search for two missing men
Quick Look
- Five of seven villagers trapped in a flooded Laotian cave have been rescued.
- Survivors are now assisting rescuers by providing crucial information about the cave's deeper sections as efforts continue to find the last two missing men.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Seven local villagers entered a cave in Laos on May 20 in search of gold, but were trapped by flash floods. Five have since been rescued, with two still missing.
Some of those freed from a flooded cave in Laos are helping in efforts to find the last two missing men trapped inside, rescuers have said.
So far, five of the seven initially missing have been rescued but it is believed the remaining two men are trapped deeper inside the cave in a mountainous area of the central Xaysomboun province.
The men, all local villagers, entered the narrow tunnels on 20 May in search of gold but flash floods stopped them from leaving.
A rescuer told AFP on Sunday that several survivors were giving advice from their hospital room on how to find the remaining men, including descriptions of the deeper part of the cave.
A Laotian rescue group said the men's information on the cave system - which extends deep underground and in some places measures around 50cm (20in) wide - was "considered substantial" and was being used in preparing a new search plan.
It comes as reports said the four men who left the cave on Saturday managed to free themselves without the help of rescuers after the water level lowered.
One unverified video posted to social media showed cheers from both rescuers and onlookers as the men emerged from the cave.
It was unclear what caused the water to lower, but a Japanese rescue diver told the Associated Press on Sunday that flood water was being drained from the cave.
Yoshitaka Isaji said the passage used in rescue efforts on Saturday was currently impassable because a drainage pump had broken, but repair efforts were ongoing.
Later on Sunday, Laos's Rescue Volunteer for People group said on social media that search operations were suspended due to heavy rain causing water to flow down into the cave's entrance. They said efforts would continue on Monday.
According to the Met Office forecast for nearby capital Vientiane, rain is unlikely in the region on Monday.
Specialist divers from other countries including Thailand, Indonesia, France and Australia are also helping the searches.
The first man was freed by rescuers on Friday.
Open Questions
- What caused the water level to lower?
- What is the exact condition of the drainage pump?
- What is the precise location of the two remaining missing men?
- What is the exact extent of the cave system?
