Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleRescuers in Laos are “racing against time” to save seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province for over a week. The group became stranded on 20 May after entering an abandoned gold mine, with heavy rain causing flash flooding that blocked their exit. An international search team, including Finnish specialist Mikko Paasi, who assisted in the 2018 Thai cave rescue, is leading the operation. According to Mr Paasi, the team is “racing against time” and was considering a final search dive into the cave’s last chamber if safety conditions allowed.Water has been pumped out of the cave by authorities and local residents, while on Tuesday, rescue crews broke through 15 metres of obstacles.In fullInternational rescue team in ‘race against time’ to reach seven trapped in flooded Laos caveThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Rescuers are racing to reach seven people trapped in a cave in central Laos. The group entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19 to search for gold, but heavy rain caused…

Rescuers are racing to reach seven people trapped in a cave in central Laos

Seven Laotian villagers entered a cave five days ago searching for gold and were trapped inside after heavy rain triggered flash flooding.

The villagers were searching for gold in the cave when flash flooding blocked their way out. The rescue effort includes Thai experts who aided in the dramatic recovery of a youth…

Seven have been stuck in flooded cave in central Laos for five days after heavy rain caused landslides

Seven villagers entered the cave in central Laos five days ago looking for gold when heavy rain caused flash flooding, trapping them inside.

Seven Laotian villagers entered the cave in central Xaysomboun province, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of the capital Vientiane

Cave rescue experts who took part in the dramatic rescue of 12 young soccer players from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 have joined the effort to save the stranded group.

The group went into the cave to look for gold on May 19, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit.

While the status of the seven people who are trapped remains unknown, the rescuers are in a critical phase. | World News

Looking for gold, a group of villagers went deep into a cave, but were blocked from exiting by a flash flood. Rescuers are now trying to extract them. Footage: Jakkrit Taengtang

Rescuers are racing to reach seven people who have been trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos for almost a week.

Cave rescue experts from Thailand who aided the dramatic 2018 retrieval of a youth football team joined efforts Monday to extract seven people trapped in a flooded cave for five…

A dangerous operation to rescue seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave for a week continues to unfold in a mountainous region of Laos, where experts are trying to beat bad…

Cave divers are squeezing through narrow, flooded corridors in a delicate operation to reach seven villagers trapped underground in a cave in Laos for nearly a week.

A search operation for seven villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos has entered its seventh day as rescuers encounter difficult terrain and weather in their bid…

Rescue crews are racing to save seven people trapped inside a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province for six days

A search operation for seven villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos has entered its seventh day as rescuers encounter difficult terrain and weather in their bid…

Cave divers are squeezing through narrow, flooded corridors.

There has been no official confirmation on why the villagers went into the cave, although the rescuers involved said that they went in to look for gold deposits.