Rescuers rushed on Thursday to pump water from a flooded cave in Laos, where seven Laotians have been trapped for more than a week.

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

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.

Team from neighbouring Thailand has joined mission to reach seven people