Search in flooded cave for 7 gold-mining villagers in Laos enters sixth day

The desperate search for seven villagers in Laos prospecting for gold who became trapped deep inside a flooded cave entered a sixth day on Monday, with the incident highlighting how surging prices have sparked a rush for the precious metal despite risks in unstable hillside mines.Thai cave rescue teams have joined the mission at the cave in central Xaysomboun province, posting harrowing images on social media of the conditions, which include crawling through a flooded, narrow tunnel leading to a mountainside.The trapped group is believed to have entered last week. Three members of the group were found dead earlier after a landslip caused by heavy rains struck the cave.