Cave divers scramble to rescue 7 people trapped underground in Laos

Laos authorities and international rescue teams faced a critical race against time on May 26 as they completed the seventh day of efforts to rescue seven people trapped in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province, north of Vientiane. The group, all locals, entered the remote cave on a hunting and gold prospecting mission but became trapped after landslides triggered by heavy rains blocked the entrance and flooded the area with muddy water. Specialist cave rescue divers from Thailand, including Metta Tham Rescue’s Kengkard Bongkawong, joined the operation after detecting pockets of air in the cave, indicating survivors might still be alive. Despite rising water levels, rescuers are pumping water out continuously and installing fixed ropes for access, though the narrow, sharp-edged passage requires crawling and tilting to navigate. The rescue operation has expanded into an international effort, involving 10,000 specialists, from cave rescue experts to medical teams. Elon Musk’s engineers developed a mini submersible, though it was never deployed. Two Thai Navy SEAL divers died during the operation, which follows a similar 2018 rescue of 12 Thai youth football players in Chiang Rai. Finnish diver Mikko Paasi and Thai cave diver Norrased Palasing, both veterans of the 2018 Tham Luang rescue, have also joined the team. Rescuers remain optimistic due to the presence of air but warn that the cave’s treacherous conditions and rising water levels complicate the mission.