Today's Edition
VIANTIANE (AFP)
Five of seven people trapped in a flooded cave for a week in Laos were found alive on Wednesday, Laotian and Thai rescuers said.
Seven Laotian villagers entered the cave in central Xaysomboun province, about 125 kilometres northeast of the capital Vientiane, on May 20, Laotian state media said this week.
They were searching for gold but instead got trapped inside the cave after heavy rain triggered flash flooding, blocking their exit, it added.
State media Lao Economic Daily also said five people were found alive.
Specialist rescue diver Mikko Paasi from Finland said rescuers needed to "navigate hundreds of metres of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards, and high risk of contaminated air quality" inside the cave.
The seven people "should be trapped in the terminal chamber" around 300 metres from the exit, he said.
The cave system, located in a remote area, extends deep underground, with multiple levels and narrow passages.
Authorities and villagers have worked to pump water out, but rescue teams had not been able to reach the group earlier this week, according to state media.
By Wednesday morning, the water level in the cave had dried up considerably, with rescuers continuing to pump it out, the Lao Economic Daily said.
