A group of villagers have been trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos since last week, with rescue operations underway to pull them out safely.
While the status of the seven people who are trapped remains unknown, the rescuers are in a critical phase, given that the villagers have been trapped their for a week now, the Associated Press reported.
Thai rescuers arrived at the site on Sunday to provide assistance, according to state-run Lao National Radio. According to one of the rescuers, the authorities had often warned villagers against entering the cave.
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How did the seven people get trapped?
The group of eight villagers, who were from the Xaisomboun province in Laos, went inside the cave in central Xaysomboun province, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of the capital Vientiane, on May 19 to look for gold. However, heavy rains triggered flash floods in the area, which blocked the exit to the cave, AP reported citing Laos and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.
One of the people from the group escaped before the exit was blocked and alerted the authorities regarding the others being trapped, Bounkham Luanglath, who leads the Laos’ Rescue Volunteer for People, told AP on Monday.
Luanglath further said that the cave is a very narrow chamber, and is often visited by the nearby villagers who come searching for gold deposits inside. He said the authorities had urged villagers to not enter the cave citing safety concerns in the past.
Where does the rescue operation stand?
As Thai rescue teams joined in for help, divers have now begun navigating flooded sections of the cave, attempting to navigate the way towards which the group of villagers had gone, and are believed to be trapped in.
The cave rescue experts from Thailand, who had also aided the retrieval of a youth football team, joined rescue efforts on Monday, according to Laotian media. While divers navigate their way, authorities and villagers are also trying to pump water out of the cave, AFP reported.
“We still do not know whether there are any signs of life or if they are still alive,” rescuer Luanglath told AFP. Around 100 people from Laos and Thailand are on the site to aid efforts.
Meanwhile, the Laotian rescuers appealed to charities in Thailand for specialist personnel and equipment in a letter on Saturday. They requested them to send water pumps, generators and thermal imaging devices which would help locate and extract the people.
