Cave drama Hope for trapped gold seekers in Laos
Rescuers approach the seven trapped gold seekers in Laos to less than 20 meters - through narrow tunnels and crawling on their stomachs. Falling water levels give new hope.
27.05.2026, 06:28
27.05.2026, 06:49
SDA
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- There is new hope in a dramatic rescue operation for seven gold prospectors trapped in a flooded cave in Laos.
- Rescuers say they have worked their way to within less than 20 meters of the men's suspected location.
- The seven men have been trapped in the cave in Longchaeng district for more than a week.
There is new hope in a dramatic rescue operation for seven gold prospectors trapped in a flooded cave in Laos: rescuers say they have worked their way to within less than 20 meters of the men's suspected location.
The water levels in the cave have now dropped significantly, the news portal "Thai Enquirer" quoted Thai operations coordinator Kengkaj Bangkaowong as saying.
The government in Laos had asked Thailand for help - also because of the experience of Thai emergency services in the internationally acclaimed rescue of a youth football team from the Tham Luang Cave in 2018.
Rescue teams from neighboring countries arrived at the site of the accident in the northern province of Xaisomboun at the weekend. Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi and his Thai colleague Norrased Palasing, who were already involved in the spectacular rescue in Tham Luang, are also supporting the mission.
Rescuers crawl and dive
Meanwhile, the special forces continued to work their way through narrow and sometimes completely flooded tunnels. In some cases, the divers had to crawl on their stomachs or knees and dive through narrow underwater passages, said Kengkaj.
The seven men have been trapped in the cave in Longchaeng district for more than a week. The area is characterized by rugged mountains and dense jungle and is located about 130 kilometers northeast of the capital Vientiane. A total of ten villagers had entered the cave system to dig for gold. Three were able to escape, seven were trapped after heavy rainfall and a landslide.
