Rescuers find five alive in Laos cave, race to free two more

Five trapped villagers were found alive on a rocky ledge inside a flooded cave in Laos, but rescue teams still faced the far harder task of getting them out while two others remained missing. The men were exhausted and hungry, yet alive and in good condition after days trapped in darkness in Xaisomboun province.

The seven villagers entered the cave on May 19. Heavy rain triggered flash flooding that cut off the exit and left them stranded below ground. One person from the original group managed to escape before the cave mouth was sealed and alerted authorities, setting off the rescue operation that has now stretched into its seventh day.

The rescue site has become a race against the cave’s own geography. Teams have had to contend with narrow passages, steep and rocky access points, muddy flooded tunnels, poor visibility and unstable conditions. Rescuers said the five survivors were found alive, but they were still trapped on a ledge and could not simply be brought straight out. More oxygen tanks were needed before extraction could safely proceed.

About 100 people from Laos and Thailand were involved in the effort, including at least 15 experienced divers. Thai and Lao rescue teams worked side by side, and the mission drew specialists with experience from the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in northern Thailand. The operation was being led by Kengkard Bongkawong, together with Thai diving expert Naraset Palasingh and Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi.

Paasi said the rescuers were "racing against time" as the search continued for the two missing villagers. Lao rescue leader Bounkham Luanglath said the five found alive were in good condition, even as crews pressed deeper into the flooded cave to look for the others.

Footage from the site captured the human toll as well as the relief. The trapped men cried and thanked rescuers when contact was made, while teams above ground embraced and celebrated the breakthrough. But the celebration only marked the beginning of a more dangerous phase: finding a way through the water, mud and tight rock channels to bring the survivors out alive.