In a dramatic rescue operation that has drawn international attention, five villagers who were trapped for more than a week inside a flood-swollen cave in central Laos have been located alive, rescue officials confirmed Wednesday. Two other members of the original group of seven remain unaccounted for, with search operations set to continue, according to rescue teams from both Laos and Thailand leading the effort.
The group first entered the remote cave in Xaisomboun province’s Longcheng district, roughly 120 kilometers north of the Lao capital Vientiane, on May 19. Unforecast heavy rain soon triggered fast-moving flash flooding that rapidly sealed off the cave’s exit, leaving all seven people trapped cut off from the outside world.
Bounkham Luanglath, a representative of Laos-based non-profit Rescue Volunteer for People, which has collaborated closely with local government authorities throughout the mission, shared the breakthrough news with The Associated Press in an emotional voice message. “I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” he said, confirming that five survivors were found safe, while the search for the two remaining missing people continues.
Footage posted online by one of the participating Thai rescue teams captures the pivotal moment divers emerged from flooded inner passages of the cave and located the stranded group. In the video, the five survivors, each equipped with a personal headlamp, are seen sitting on an elevated rock formation completely surrounded by rising floodwater. Separate clips show rescue personnel both inside the cave system and at the surface celebrating the discovery, cheering, embracing one another and jumping in unrestrained joy.
The rescue effort has drawn experienced personnel with a history of high-stakes cave rescue operations. Thai rescue workers deployed to the remote site over the weekend, and the team includes veteran divers from multiple countries who took part in the globally renowned 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, where 12 young soccer players and their coach were successfully extracted after being trapped for more than two weeks in northern Thailand’s flooded cave system.
Rescuers have repeatedly documented the extreme challenges of the operation via social media. The region is characterized by rugged, remote mountain terrain, and persistent heavy rainfall has slowed progress and complicated access to the cave. To reach the cave entrance, rescue teams must complete a steep 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) hike on foot, and the narrow, rocky opening itself only allows one person to climb through at a time.
While Lao authorities have not yet released an official explanation for why the group entered the cave, Bounkham told the AP that local residents often enter the site illegally to search for gold, despite repeated official warnings about the extreme flood risks the cave poses during monsoon season.