Five of the seven people who were trapped in a flooded cave in Laos for a week have miraculously been found alive.'We've found 5 people alive and all safe. There are still 2 people we are searching for,' Laotian rescue group Rescue Volunteer for People said in a social media post.'At 4.30pm, we found our target. We found five people. We are looking for the other two,' added Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong in a Facebook post.Footage of the incredible rescue shows an underwater search team making contact with the group as they are seen sheltering on rocks while muddy water from torrential rain pins them inside. The locals were stranded in the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19 when intense rainfall sent water rushing through the rocks and blocked the entrance.Authorities said the men had ventured more than 330ft underground to search for gold ore. They are understood to have been working alone in artisanal or small-scale mining, not part of an official mining company.As conditions deteriorated, three of the men managed to escape and alert authorities, triggering an urgent rescue response. Five of the seven people who were trapped in a flooded cave in Laos for a week have miraculously been found aliveFootage of the incredible rescue shows an underwater search team making contact with the group as they are seen sheltering on rocks while muddy water from torrential rain pins them inside Rescuers reportedly trekked for up to two hours through mountainous terrain to reach the remote cave entranceRescue teams described conditions inside the cave as dangerous, with confined spaces, strong currents, narrow passages and concerns over oxygen levels slowing access to the trapped villagers.Water pumps were installed to help drain the cave, but continued rainfall has hampered progress and raised fears of further flooding.Lao authorities deployed soldiers, police officers, medical workers, administrative officials and local volunteers to support the operation. Thai and Chinese rescue teams were also assisting at the site. Diving teams from Finland are also expected to join the mission.Experienced underwater rescuers Mikko Paasi and Norrased Palasing, who took part in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in northern Thailand, arrived at the site on Monday to assist in the operation.Mikko said: 'Yesterday was spent elevating safety standards by building road access, installing air flow and water pumps and even Wi-Fi cable to the terminal chamber where the diving starts.'We are still in high spirits that we will find the miners alive as they entered the mine with resources to stay sub-terrain for several days.'Rescuers have reportedly trekked for up to two hours through mountainous terrain to reach the remote cave entrance.The cave system, located in a remote area, extends deep underground, with multiple levels and some passages reaching more than 100metres from the entrance, the Laotian rescue group said. Officials hope the experience of Mikko and Norrased in difficult underground rescue missions could help advance efforts to reach the trapped villagers.The rescue has echoes of the Tham Luang cave rescue in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, which unfolded over an intense 18-day period in the summer of 2018.Twelve young members of a local football team were trapped while exploring the cave and later rescued.The latest incident comes two weeks after five Italian divers tragically lost their lives while exploring a Maldives cave system.The deceased consisted of Monica Montefalcone, a marine biology professor with many years of experience; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; two young researchers, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino; and their Maldives-based guide, Gianluca Benedetti. The cave system, located in a remote area, extends deep underground, with multiple levels and some passages reaching more than 100metres from the entrance, the Laotian rescue group said Members of a rescue team work to save seven people trapped in a cave, in Xaisomboun Province, LaosBenedetti's body was found near the mouth of the Thinwana Kandu cave on May 14, while the remaining four bodies were located in the cavern's third and final chamber on May 18 at a depth of around 165ft.Mystery has clouded the tragedy, which has been called the worst diving incident in the island nation, as investigators try to determine how the group of experienced scuba divers met their fate.Authorities in the Maldives are now investigating how the Italians were allowed to descend to a depth of nearly 200ft, even though the country only allows a maximum depth of 98ft for tourists. They are also probing whether the divers may have become disoriented due to bad weather and poor visibility on the day of the incident.The divers were carrying 12-litre oxygen tanks, while Montefalcone was wearing a short diving suit - both unsuitable for the depths at which they were diving.Investigators are also looking into whether the divers were carrying flashlights and using the 'Ariadne's Thread' - a guide rope required for deep-sea cave expeditions.Among the theories that have emerged, the possibility that the divers were sucked into a cave by a strong 'freak' current is being considered.According to the president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, Alfonso Bolognini, the five divers might have been pulled into the crevice by a powerful current called the 'Venturi effect'.This phenomenon occurs when flowing water enters a narrow choke point, forcing it to speed up, creating suction.This is a breaking news story. More to follow.