Post by : Badri Ariffin

Rescue teams have successfully located five of the seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos, with efforts still underway to find the remaining two.

Laotian and Thai rescuers confirmed the survivors were discovered on Wednesday in Xaysomboun province, about 125 kilometers northeast of the capital, Vientiane.

“We’ve found 5 people alive and well. We are currently searching for the remaining two,” stated the Laotian rescue group Rescue Volunteer for People via social media. Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong also validated the report, indicating, “At 4:30 pm, we found our target. We located five individuals. The search continues for the other two.”

Additional confirmation came from the Lao Economic Daily, revealing that five villagers had indeed been found alive.

The group entered the cave on May 20 while prospecting for gold, but heavy rains caused sudden flash floods that blocked their exit, trapping them within.

Specialist rescue diver Mikko Paasi from Finland articulated the severe challenges faced by rescuers, noting they navigated through “hundreds of meters of continuous restrictions, flood waters, potential collapses, and the threat of contaminated air.” He referred to the site as an “abandoned gold mine.”

He mentioned that the trapped individuals were likely located in a terminal chamber roughly 300 meters from where the cave begins.

A local rescuer, who chose to remain anonymous for confidentiality, shared that the area does not have official ownership: “Residents commonly visit to dig and search for food,” he remarked.

Rescue operations remain active as teams persist in their search for the two missing villagers within this perilous cave system.

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