Five Found Alive in Laos Cave as Search Continues for Two Missing

Overview

• Ten people entered the remote Xaysomboun cave to hunt and search for gold on May 20, and sudden heavy rains and landslides flooded the passages leaving seven trapped more than 100 meters from the entrance.
• Rescue teams of about 100 people from Laos and neighboring countries have worked for days to pump water, install guide ropes and probe tight, low tunnels that in places measure roughly 50–60 centimeters across.
• Rescuers confirmed on Wednesday that five of the seven trapped people were located alive and being assisted inside the cave while search operations continue for the two still missing.
• Teams face repeated setbacks from rising water, muddy sediment that reblocks narrow passages, and a lack of specialized gear such as high-capacity pumps, generators and thermal cameras requested from Thailand.
• The operation draws on experienced cave divers who helped in Thailand’s 2018 Tham Luang rescue and now focuses on delivering food and medicine, stabilizing the found survivors, and planning a risky extraction through constricted flooded tunnels.