Seven villagers from Xaysomboun province in Laos were trapped in a flooded cave for nearly a week after heavy rains and landslides blocked its entrance. The group was searching for gold deposits and wildlife when the cave flooded on Wednesday.
Rescue efforts began immediately, involving teams from Laotian and Thai authorities as well as international experts. Divers and search teams struggled through narrow, muddy passageways that were almost completely flooded. Specialist Finnish diver Mikko Paasi described the cave as a “abandoned gold mine” with chambers as narrow as 50 cm (20 inches), making navigation extremely hazardous.
After hours of maneuvering through 300 m (984 ft) of flooded, collapsed sections and dealing with contaminated air, rescuers located five villagers alive in the cave’s interior at 16:30 local time (09:30 GMT). Those five were brought to safety and are now reportedly stable.
Reports from the rescue volunteer organisation “Rescue Volunteer for People” confirmed that two other villagers are still missing. Bounkham Luanglath, the organisation’s director, said: I'm still shaking, and added that the search for the missing continues.
The operation, which has drawn on more than 10,000 experts from around the world, echoes similar cave rescue efforts in the region, such as the 2018 Thai cave incident that involved a team that rescued 12 young Thai boys and their coach after a two‑week ordeal.
Authorities have stated that the area is not owned by anyone and that locals typically go there to dig and look for food. Rescue teams remain on site, performing continuous searches and preparing for potential further difficulties.
As of the last update, five villagers have been safely rescued, while the fate of the remaining two remains uncertain. The rescue continues to highlight the dangers associated with exploring the region’s complex cave systems and the critical need for coordinated, expert rescue operations.
Rescue efforts began immediately, involving teams from Laotian and Thai authorities as well as international experts. Divers and search teams struggled through narrow, muddy passageways that were almost completely flooded. Specialist Finnish diver Mikko Paasi described the cave as a “abandoned gold mine” with chambers as narrow as 50 cm (20 inches), making navigation extremely hazardous.
After hours of maneuvering through 300 m (984 ft) of flooded, collapsed sections and dealing with contaminated air, rescuers located five villagers alive in the cave’s interior at 16:30 local time (09:30 GMT). Those five were brought to safety and are now reportedly stable.
Reports from the rescue volunteer organisation “Rescue Volunteer for People” confirmed that two other villagers are still missing. Bounkham Luanglath, the organisation’s director, said: I'm still shaking, and added that the search for the missing continues.
The operation, which has drawn on more than 10,000 experts from around the world, echoes similar cave rescue efforts in the region, such as the 2018 Thai cave incident that involved a team that rescued 12 young Thai boys and their coach after a two‑week ordeal.
Authorities have stated that the area is not owned by anyone and that locals typically go there to dig and look for food. Rescue teams remain on site, performing continuous searches and preparing for potential further difficulties.
As of the last update, five villagers have been safely rescued, while the fate of the remaining two remains uncertain. The rescue continues to highlight the dangers associated with exploring the region’s complex cave systems and the critical need for coordinated, expert rescue operations.
