Rescue Operation Finds Five Survivors in Flooded Laos Cave, Two Still Missing

Divers from Laos and Thailand entered the flooded passage of a cave in Xaisomboun province on 27 May and located five of the seven men who had been trapped for more than a week. The men were found sitting on a rock, headlamps on, surrounded by water. Rescue teams later evacuated the first of the five; two villagers remain unaccounted for.

Divers rescue trapped villager from Laos cave, continue evacuation operationAssociated PressAdditional divers arriving in Laos to navigate tight caves in race to rescue 2 villagers

The group entered the cave on 19 May to search for gold deposits, despite repeated local warnings about safety. Heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the narrow entrance, sealing the men inside. One villager escaped before the water rose and alerted authorities, prompting the multi-national rescue effort.

CNN

• 19 May: Seven villagers enter the cave.

Additional divers arriving in Laos to navigate tight caves in race to rescue 2 villagers

• 20 May: Flash flood blocks exit; one man escapes and raises the alarm.

The Straits Times

• 23 May: Lao and Thai rescue teams arrive on the scene.

Seven villagers have been trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos for nearly a week — sealed in by flash floods after going in to search for gold — and an international rescue team, including so

• 27 May: Divers locate five survivors at 16:30 local time.

CNN

• 28 May: First rescued villager evacuated; teams continue to pump water and search for the missing two.

CNN

• Rescue Volunteer for People (Lao NGO) – led by Bounkham Luanglath.

BBC News

• Thai rescue team – represented by Kengkach Bangkawong.

CNN

• Finnish diver Mikko Paasi – veteran of the 2018 Thai cave rescue.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• Additional divers from Japan, France and other nations joined the effort.

Seven villagers have been trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos for nearly a week — sealed in by flash floods after going in to search for gold — and an international rescue team, including so

• Total trapped: seven men; rescued so far: five; still missing: two.

CNN

• Cave location: Longcheng district, Xaisomboun, ?120 km (75 mi) north of Vientiane.

Search continues for seven villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave

• Divers have progressed ?100 m into the flooded tunnel; an estimated 240 m of narrow passage remains.

CNN

• Passage width narrows to 60 cm in places; depth to the terminal chamber is about 300 m from the entrance.

CNN

• Access trek: 4 km steep hike with a 45-degree gradient.

CNN

• Rescue force: >100 personnel, including 15 experienced cave divers.

CNN

The incident underscores the hazards of informal gold-fossicking in remote Laos and tests the regional cave-rescue capacity built after the 2018 Thai rescue. Successful extraction could influence future policies on alluvial mining and emergency response in the country’s mountainous areas.

Seven villagers have been trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos for nearly a week — sealed in by flash floods after going in to search for gold — and an international rescue team, including so

Bounkham Luanglath said his team “made it happen” and that the search for the two missing continues. The Rescue Volunteer for People posted that the five found are “alive and all safe.” Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong confirmed ongoing efforts to locate the remaining men. Authorities plan to increase water-pumping capacity, install a generator near the entrance, and position additional oxygen tanks and specially designed stretchers for the eventual extraction.

CNN

Local officials had repeatedly warned residents against entering the cave for gold, yet the warnings were ignored. The Lao government has provided limited public information, and reports indicate that discussion of the incident on social media is being discouraged. Critics argue that inadequate regulation of informal mining contributed to the emergency.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Sources differ on the exact motive for entering the cave—some cite gold, others mention wildlife hunting. The identities of the two missing villagers have not been confirmed, and estimates of their location vary between 30 m and 300 m beyond the furthest point reached by divers.

WDSU - New Orleans News

• “I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” — Bounkham Luanglath, voice message.

Associated Press

• “We’ve found five people alive and all safe. There are still two people we are searching for,” — Rescue Volunteer for People, Facebook post.

The Straits Times

• “We are racing against time as today marks the seventh day and the way in is full of challenges,” — Mikko Paasi, social media.

The Straits Times

• “If we can completely pump out the water, we may be able to bring everyone out today,” — Kengkad, CNN interview.

CNN

• “ The missing seven people “should be trapped in the terminal chamber” around 300m from the exit , said Mr Paasi, who is part of a team that includes another diver and a team manager from Laos .” — Mikko Paasi, Strait Times.

The Straits Times

Rescuers aim to lower the water level further, deploy additional oxygen tanks, and use narrow-passage stretchers to extract the survivors. Six more thin divers are expected to arrive, and the search for the two missing men will continue as pumping operations progress.

CNN