Asia
Cave diving experts warn of tight and dangerous conditions in the cave, including mud walls at risk of collapse and the potential for more flooding.
A member of a rescue team works to save people trapped in a cave, in Xaisomboun Province, Laos, on May 25, 2026. (Image: Reuters/Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue)
29 May 2026 01:02PM
Rescue efforts are underway on Friday (May 29) to extract five men trapped in a cave in Laos, but cave diving experts warn of the significant risks involved. The men had entered the cave in central Laos' Xaisomboun province last week in search of gold, but a landslide triggered by heavy rain blocked their exit, a local volunteer group and the state-run Lao Phattha News reported.Seven people were initially said to be missing, but Thai-based Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi, who was involved in locating the men, said the group of five said no one else was with them.Paasi was part of the team in the dramatic rescue of a youth football team in Thailand in 2018.
