Seven villagers in Laos have been trapped inside a flooded cave for more than a week after entering to search for gold.
Heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit, sparking a major rescue operation involving Thai cave rescue specialists.
Bounkham Luanglath, president of a Laotian volunteer rescue association, told AFP: “We still do not know whether there are any signs of life or if they are still alive.”
Here’s the latest.
Context
On 19 May, a group of villagers in Xaisomboun province in central Laos entered a cave searching for gold.
Heavy rain then triggered flash flooding, blocking the cave’s exit and trapping the group inside.
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One person managed to escape before the exit was cut off and alerted authorities.
It's not yet known whether the seven people still inside are alive.
Rescue
Around 100 people from Laos and Thailand have joined the rescue operation, with divers navigating flooded sections of the cave in search of survivors.
Rescuers believe the group may be sheltering within 30 metres of where teams have reached.
The rescue effort has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand, when 12 boys and their football coach were saved after nearly three weeks trapped underground.
Two Thai rescue specialists and a Finnish cave expert involved in that operation arrived at the Laos cave on Monday.
