BANGKOK: Rescue workers in Laos said Saturday they have safely evacuated four remaining villagers trapped in a flooded cave for 10 days, a day after another one was successfully extracted.
Lao and Thai rescue groups posted about the successful operation on social media, along with photos of the men lying on stretchers, wearing oxygen masks and being wrapped in foil blankets.
The villagers had reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by flash flooding that blocked their way out. One other villager escaped in time and alerted the authorities to the seven left behind. Two people remain unlocated.
According to rescuers, it took about 30 minutes to evacuate the first survivor from the cave on Friday. Videos showed the moment he emerged from the water alongside a diver, catching his breath before struggling to crawl through a narrow, flooded passage and rising unsteadily to his feet. As rescuers helped him away from the tunnel, one could be heard warning others to be careful because his hands were injured. He was then wrapped in a foil blanket and helped into a seated position.
Another video showed the man getting out from the cave’s entrance with a lamp strapped to his forehead. He was walking unsteadily with the assistance of two men, who handed him over to other team members amid a waiting crowd.
The villagers had reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by flash flooding that blocked their way out. One other villager escaped in time and alerted the authorities to the seven left behind.
Five of them were found alive Wednesday. They were identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing and Laen. It’s unclear which of them was evacuated Friday.
The men had been supplied with water, soft food and foil blankets to keep them warm, although videos shot inside the cave suggested that their conditions continued to deteriorate.
Rescue teams from Laos and neighboring Thailand were joined by Japanese and Malaysian colleagues. Indonesian, French and Australian specialists also reportedly arrived at the site in a rugged area in the central province of Xaisomboun, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane.
Several of them had taken part in the complicated 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach.
