Divers locate 5 of 7 survivors in flooded Laos cave, but rescue plan still uncertain
The leader of a Thai volunteer group involved in the operation said additional oxygen tanks would be needed to safely extract the seven people believed to be trapped inside the cave network.
This image made from the video provided by Benz Norrased Palasing Seascout Diving shows rescuers speaking to the villagers who were trapped and found in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (PTI)
For more than a week, darkness, hunger and rising floodwaters trapped a group of men deep inside a cave in Laos, cutting them off from the outside world and slowly draining hopes of survival.
Then, on Wednesday, beams of light appeared, piercing the narrow rocky chambers nearly 260 metres from the cave’s entrance. Rescue divers had finally reached them.
At least five men have been found alive so far, though the dangerous task of bringing them out is still underway.
Thai rescuer Norrased Palasing & Finnish diver Mikko Paasi have located 5 of the 7 Lao villagers trapped inside a flooded mine cave in Xaysomboun Province, central Laos, after a week-long operation. Rescue efforts are ongoing to extract the survivors and locate the remaining two. pic.twitter.com/kb5ZEiBa32
According to Lao officials, the men had entered the cave last Wednesday in search of gold deposits, part of a risky and increasingly common activity in the region, but torrential rain triggered flash floods inside the cave system, sealing their exit and leaving them stranded underground. Authorities believe two more people, who reportedly entered the cave separately earlier, remain missing.
An immediate rescue effort was launched with experienced cave divers from across the world. The operation was coordinated by the Lao People’s Volunteer Association, headed by Bounkham Luanglath.
Rescuers break down in tears and embrace after saving five people trapped deep inside a flooded cave.
A Thai rescue team pushed through murky underwater passageways and narrow tunnels trying to reach the group trapped in Laos’ Xaisomboun Province before time ran out.
CNN reported that one of the trapped men, identified as Ing, delivered an emotional message to his family through a rescuer’s camera: “Don’t worry, Mom. The rescue team has reached us now. We’re safe. I miss Mom and Dad so much. We’ll probably get out tomorrow or the day after.”
But rescuers cautioned that the mission is far from over. The leader of a Thai volunteer group involved in the operation said additional oxygen tanks would be needed to safely extract the seven people believed to be trapped inside the cave network.
Above ground, scenes of relief unfolded as anxious relatives and exhausted rescuers celebrated the discovery of the survivors after days of uncertainty.
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, part of the international rescue team, praised the “amazing work” of rescuers in an Instagram post, CNN reported. Yet he warned that the next phase would be even more perilous, saying the extraction “ain’t going to be easy.”
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