Miracle of Laos: Five people trapped for a week in underground cave freed in dramatic rescue
Rescuers say two people are still missing but the search for them is continuing
Five of the seven people who were trapped in a flooded cave in Laos for a week have been found alive.
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The seven were part of a group of villagers from the central province of Xaysomboun who had gone into the cave on Wednesday in search of gold and wildlife, but could not get out as rain and landslides blocked the cave's entrance.
Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People, which has been working closely with local authorities in the rescue efforts, said that five people were found safe and alive but two more are still missing, and the search will continue for them.
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He said: "I'm still shaking. Our team made it happen."
A video posted by a Thai rescue group involved in the mission appeared to show the moment divers emerged from the water and discovered the trapped villagers.
In the footage, the villagers, each wearing a headlamp, were sitting on a rock surrounded by floodwater.
The locals were stranded in the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19 when intense rainfall sent water rushing through the rocks and blocked the entrance.
Authorities said the men had ventured more than 330ft underground to search for gold ore. It is understood they were working alone in artisanal or small-scale mining and were not part of an official mining company.
As conditions deteriorated, three of the men managed to escape and alert authorities, triggering an urgent rescue response.
Rescuers have described the cave system as dangerous. It extends deep underground but is extremely narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50cm (20in) wide. The rescue bid has also been slowed down due to the confined spaces, strong currents, narrow passages and concerns over oxygen levels.
Water pumps have been installed to help drain the cave, but continued rainfall has hampered progress and raised fears of further flooding.
The rescue has echoes of the Tham Luang cave rescue in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, which unfolded over an intense 18-day period in the summer of 2018.
Twelve young members of a local football team were trapped while exploring the cave and later rescued.