Rescuers are still looking for two other missing villagers.May 29, 2026, 10:25 AMAs divers continue their search for two missing villagers trapped inside a flooded Laos cave for 10 days, one of the five people who were initially located but still needed rescue teams to pull them out of the cave was freed on Friday.Two of the rescue teams posted on their Facebook pages on Friday that one of the trapped victims had been rescued from the cave. Their identity will be revealed later, according to one of the groups. Three of the divers who arrived at the scene told ABC News that they hope they are thin enough to navigate the tight cave and will try to get the five found villagers out one by one.People who have been trapped in a flooded cave in Laos' central Xaysomboun province, northeast of the capital Vientiane, May 28, 2026.Benz Norrased Palasing/AFP via Getty ImagesLaos and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation said that a group of villagers in the Xaisomboun province of central Laos went into the cave May 19 to look for gold. Heavy rain triggered flash flooding and the exit to the cave was blocked, according to officials.One of the villagers was able to make it out before the entrance was blocked and called for help, officials said.On Wednesday, five of those villagers were located in the cave and in good health, but were still in the water and had limited room. Two other villagers were trapped in the cave, however, they have not been located as of Friday.Rescue workers work through drills to transport victims from a flooded cave in Laos, May 29, 2026, where seven Laotians have been trapped for more than a week.Rescue Volunteer for People/FacebookDivers from around the world flew out to the site to help with the rescue efforts. Officials said the caves are so tight that they needed thin divers to successfully navigate the space.One of the rescue groups involved in the operation posted on Facebook Friday that drills and water pumps were installed to drain the water in order to attempt the rescue.Water is pumped from a flooded cave in Laos, May 29, 2026, where seven Laotians have been trapped for more than a week.Rescue Volunteer for People/FacebookThey said that the water level inside had decreased significantly.
Divers rescue trapped villager from Laos cave, continue evacuation operation
As divers continue their search for the people trapped inside a Laos cave for 10 days, rescue crews began their operation Friday to get the five other trapped victims.











