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Four miners freed from flooded Lao cave
Thai rescue teams successfully extracted four men on Saturday afternoon from a waterlogged cave in central Laos, where they had been trapped for 10 days. Two others remain missing.
What happened
Seven villagers entered the tight cave network in Xaysomboun province on 20 May to search for gold. Flash floods suddenly sealed the narrow tunnels, cutting off their exit. Rescuers located five survivors on Wednesday; one was pulled out on Friday.
Rescue operation
The four men emerged at 15:10 local time (08:10 GMT) on Saturday, according to a post by Thailand Rescue Diver on Facebook. The exact extraction method has not been disclosed.
Video footage shared by a Thai rescue worker shows jubilant onlookers and searchers cheering as the miners appeared. One man smiled while being led to a temporary medical station; three others embraced rescuers, visibly overcome with emotion.
All four were immediately placed on stretchers, wrapped in thermal blankets, and given medical care.
Challenges faced
The cave system is notoriously cramped, with some passages measuring only 50 cm (20 in) across. Initial plans to drain floodwater failed, prompting discussions about teaching the men to scuba dive-a high-risk option that was ultimately avoided.
International support
The trapped miners' situation drew global attention, prompting specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France, and Australia to join the effort on Friday.
Parallels to 2018 Thai cave rescue
The incident echoes the 2018 rescue of a Thai youth football team, who spent 18 days trapped in a flooded cave before being safely extracted.
