The scene nearby from the cave in Long Cheng District, Xaysomboun Province, where five individuals were trapped inside on May 30. (KPL)
On May 30, rescue teams evacuated five local villagers after they were trapped for 10 days inside a flooded cave in Xaysomboun Province, Laos. All survivors have already received appropriate treatments. However, the challenge still persists. As of June 3, the rescue team is still underway to locate two other villagers missing in a steeper area.
The incident occurred on May 20, when seven local villagers visited a narrow cave in search of gold. Suddenly, heavy rain poured over the area and left them trapped. It took nearly one week and numerous efforts for the rescue team to help them escape. Flooded areas of the cave were drained, leading four of them to successfully escape. One of them was geared with scuba diving equipment, and the rescue team assisted him in navigating a way out from the flooded area.
Public concerns are mounting questioning the two local villagers who remain missing. Professional divers from Indonesia, Malaysia, France and Australia have gathered at the site to help with the evacuation. However, monsoonal rain in the past few days has made their efforts more challenging, as the area is still flooded with water and it’s impossible to dive straight through the cave.
The last resort they have might be to descend into a narrow, vertical passage located on the hill. But the rescue team has faced several blocked passages, rockfall and landslides which hampered their efforts.
Abandoned mines and caves are frequently explored by local villagers in the Laos province, in order to find gold. Later, these golds will be sold to obtain money for their daily needs.
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