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Seven villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave
Rescue teams are battling rising water levels to reach seven people trapped in a cave in Laos' Xaysomboun province for nearly a week. The group entered the cave last Wednesday in search of gold and wildlife but became stranded when heavy rain and landslides blocked the entrance.
How the group became trapped
A survivor who escaped alerted authorities after the group failed to return. The cave, known locally for gold deposits, features narrow, flooded passages-some as tight as 50 cm (20 inches) wide-making rescue efforts extremely difficult.
Footage from rescue teams shows divers navigating muddy, water-filled tunnels to access deeper sections of the cave system.
Rescue efforts intensify
Teams have been pumping water out of the cave around the clock. On Monday, they cleared rocks at the entrance and surveyed deeper areas, but rising water levels have hindered progress. So far, no signs of life have been detected.
"All day, all night, water was still being pumped out," said Kengkard Bongkawong of Thailand's Metta Tham Rescue team.
Kengkard Bongkawong, Metta Tham Rescue
International expertise deployed
Several experts from the 2018 Thai cave rescue-where 12 boys and their football coach were saved after two weeks underground-are assisting. That operation involved over 10,000 rescuers and gained global attention, inspiring films like Thirteen Lives and The Rescue.
Kengkard, who participated in the 2018 rescue, estimates rescuers are now less than 20 meters (65 feet) from the trapped group.
Challenges ahead
Rescuers describe the cave's narrow chambers and rising water as major obstacles. Bounkham Luanglath, leader of Laos' Rescue Volunteer for People, told the Associated Press that the cave is frequently visited by villagers searching for gold, but its treacherous conditions make rescues perilous.
