Five of the seven villagers trapped for a week in a flooded cave in Laos have been found alive, rescuers said on Wednesday.
They were located by specialist cave divers and for now remain stuck in an underground cavern in the central Laotian province of Xaisomboun, as rescuers continue to search for the two remaining people.
“5 people have been found safe. The search continues for the remaining 2,” Thai rescue diver Kengkad Bongkawong wrote on Facebook at 4.30 p.m. local time.
Bongkawong told CNN on Tuesday that once the trapped people are found, they will be given a physical assessment and provided with liquid and gel food. A plan will then be formed as to how to extract them.
The dangerous operation to rescue the villagers was launched amid deteriorating conditions. They are believed to be trapped on “an elevated ledge inside the cave that benefits from continuous airflow,” state-run Lao News Agency reported Tuesday.
