Five of the seven people who were trapped for a week in a flooded cave in Laos were found alive on Wednesday (27). The local rescue group confirmed that the survivors are out of danger, while the search continues for two other people missing in the underground complex.
The announcement was made by the organization Rescue Volunteer for People in a social media post. According to the statement, the five survivors were located safely after days of intense searching amidst the extreme conditions inside the cave.
The operation had the support of international experts, including Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong, known for his role in the rescue of the boys trapped in a cave in Thailand in 2018. According to him, the survivors were found at 16:30 pm local time, equivalent to 6:30 am in Brasília.
Thrilling rescue mobilized specialized teams.
Rescuer Bounkham Luanglath told the Associated Press about his excitement after the mission's partial success. "I'm still shaking. Our team did it," he declared.
Images released by the rescue teams show the five survivors sitting on a rock surrounded by water inside the cave. Despite the difficulties faced throughout the week, all appeared to be conscious and happy with the rescue.
Videos shared on social media also captured the moment of celebration among the members of the operation, who celebrated the group's location with hugs and shouts of relief after days of intense work.
The group entered the cave in search of gold.
Local authorities reported that the group entered the cave on May 19, possibly in search of gold. On the same day, heavy rains hit the region, causing a sudden rise in water levels and blocking exit routes.
According to information released by the local press, the survivors were isolated in an area located more than 100 meters from the main entrance of the cave, in an elevated region with extremely difficult access.
The flood completely altered the internal conditions of the underground system, making the tunnels even more dangerous and hindering the movement of rescue teams.
The cave has narrow tunnels and flooded areas.
The cave is located in the city of Long Gian, in the Xaysomboun province of Laos, and is part of an ancient underground system used for mining and transporting ores.
The environment consists of narrow tunnels, partially flooded corridors, and extremely tight passages, where in some sections it is necessary to crawl to move forward.
The Thailand Rescue Diver group, which is directly involved in the operation, released images from inside the cave showing the difficulties faced by the divers. The recordings reveal poor visibility, a large volume of water, and points where movement is only possible with diving equipment.
Rain hinders the continuation of the search.
Specialized divers officially joined the mission on Monday (25), according to state media reports. Part of the team is made up of the same professionals who worked on the historic rescue of the children's football team in Thailand in 2018.
The advancing rains in the region continue to be one of the main obstacles for the teams. The constant rise in water levels forces rescuers to temporarily interrupt some parts of the operation.
"The mission is difficult because of the rain. We had to leave because the water level was rising," said Thai rescuer Chakkit Taengtan in a video posted on social media.
Teams remain mobilized in the search for the two people who are still missing inside the underground complex.
Moment of rescue:
Rescuers celebrated:
Watch the report on Jornal Nacional:
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