“From this moment on, I believe our success is not far away.”
Rescue teams are racing to reach seven people trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos after heavy rain and landslides blocked the entrance days ago.
The group became trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province on May 20 after entering the area during a search for gold, according to local rescue teams. Since then, rescuers have been working through narrow flooded tunnels, mud and dangerous rock passages trying to reach them.
Thai rescue divers, including members involved in the famous 2018 Thailand cave rescue, have now joined the operation.
One of the rescue leaders, Kengkard Bongkawong, said teams recently made major progress underground after clearing several meters of blocked passages.
“We are not far away now,” he said during an update shared online.
Videos from inside the cave show rescuers squeezing through extremely tight flooded spaces while carrying equipment through muddy water. Some sections are reportedly so narrow that divers can barely move through them.
Officials say rescuers still believe the trapped group may be alive.
That hope comes partly from reports that there may be a dry chamber deeper inside the cave where air is still flowing. A survivor who managed to escape earlier reportedly told rescuers the others had moved to higher ground before floodwaters fully blocked the passageways.
“Everyone is exhausted, but nobody wants to stop,” one rescue worker said.
Teams have been pumping water out around the clock while also searching for alternative entrances through the mountains above the cave. Rescue crews are also laying ropes underground to guide divers safely through the flooded sections.
The operation has drawn attention across Southeast Asia because it reminds many people of the dramatic 2018 Thailand cave rescue where twelve boys and their football coach were trapped underground for more than two weeks before being saved by an international team of divers.
This time, conditions are once again extremely dangerous.
Heavy rain has continued affecting the area, and rescuers say water levels inside the cave can change quickly. Thick mud and poor visibility have also slowed progress inside the tunnels.
“The cave is very tight and difficult. Every movement takes time,” a Thai diver involved in the mission said.
Families of the trapped villagers have remained near the rescue area waiting for updates as teams continue working day and night.
Some local residents said the atmosphere around the site has become emotional as hope and fear continue growing together.
“People are praying constantly here,” one resident said.
Officials in Laos have released limited public information during the operation, but rescue groups say international coordination has increased over the past two days as conditions inside the cave became more difficult.
Experts say cave rescues are among the most dangerous emergency operations in the world because of rising water, lack of oxygen and narrow underground routes that can trap even experienced divers.
Despite the risks, rescuers say they are determined to continue pushing deeper into the cave system.
For now, the operation remains a race against time, weather and exhaustion as teams underground try to reach the trapped villagers before conditions become worse.
