Video shows desperate search Rescuers fight to save seven trapped gold miners
A dramatic rescue operation is underway in northern Laos. Seven men have been trapped in a flooded cave for days after searching for gold. International specialist teams are now battling rising water, narrow tunnels and a dangerous lack of oxygen.
26.05.2026, 10:43
26.05.2026, 11:24
SDA
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- Seven men have been trapped for days in a flooded cave in Laos.
- Special teams from Thailand and international divers are supporting the rescue mission.
- Rescuers are fighting against masses of water, narrow tunnels and falling oxygen levels.
They were searching for gold - now rescuers are fighting for their lives: seven villagers have been trapped for days in a flooded cave in northern Laos.
Special teams from neighboring Thailand are now supporting the difficult rescue mission, which is being challenged by masses of water, narrow passages and a lack of oxygen.
According to the authorities, a total of ten men had already entered a cave in the Longchaeng district of Xaisomboun province on May 19 to dig for gold. The region is characterized by rugged mountains, steep valleys and dense jungle and is located around 130 kilometers north-east of the capital Vientiane.
While three workers managed to escape, seven others were trapped after heavy rains flooded the cave's entrances and exits, according to local media reports. Parts of the cave are also said to have collapsed during a storm.
Help from abroad
The government in Laos 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. Several volunteer rescue teams from Thailand arrived at the scene of the accident at the weekend and immediately began work, reported the portal "Thaiger".
International diving experts are now also supporting the mission, including Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi, who was already involved in the spectacular rescue in Tham Luang.
According to the rescuers, however, the mission is proving extremely difficult. Access to the cave was through a tunnel only around 60 centimetres wide, through which rescue teams had to crawl around 100 meters to reach the actual shaft, the Thai broadcaster Channel 7 quoted rescue teams involved. So far, however, rising water has prevented further progress.
Are the missing still alive?
Low oxygen levels in the cave and persistent rain are causing additional concerns, further exacerbating the situation. Specialists have been pumping water out of the cave for days and monitoring the weather. However, it is unclear whether the missing people are still alive.
It is possible that the workers could have saved themselves in a large chamber more than 100 meters away from the entrance, reported Thai PBS World. According to the report, there is a shaft-like opening about 50 meters above the chamber, which the rescue workers are also investigating as a possible access route.
Meanwhile, the families of those trapped are waiting for news in makeshift camps near the cave. According to the newspaper "Vientiane Times", a team of doctors, ambulances and rescue vehicles are standing by around the clock outside the cave.
The rescue operation reminds many of the drama surrounding the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand eight years ago. Back then, twelve teenagers and their football coach were trapped in the flooded cave for more than two weeks after heavy rainfall and were rescued by international cave divers and special forces in a rescue mission that received worldwide attention.
