BANGKOK — Five villagers trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos for over a week have been rescued alive, rescuers reported on Wednesday, while two others remain missing.
The villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19, but a sudden heavy rain caused flash flooding that shut the exit, sealing seven people inside, according to Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.
Bounkham Luanglath, of the Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People—who has worked closely with local authorities on the rescue—told The Associated Press that five people were found safe and alive, while two remain missing and the search continues.
“I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” he said in a voice message.
A video posted by a Thai rescue group involved in the mission captured divers emerging from the water to find the trapped villagers. In the footage, the villagers, each wearing a headlamp, were seated on a rock amid floodwater.
