Rescuers search for alternative route to reach 2 missing in a flooded Laos cave

Rescuers in Laos are searching for an alternative route into a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province where two people are believed to be trapped. The main entrance became impassable due to heavy rainfall, and the two individuals have been missing for nearly two weeks. Five of the seven people initially trapped have been rescued. Teams are pumping water out of the cave and also exploring the cave's exterior for another access point. International rescue teams, including divers from several countries, are collaborating on the operation. The villagers reportedly entered the cave to search for minerals before being trapped by a flash flood.

Heavy rains are hindering the search for two individuals missing in a flooded cave in Laos's Xaisomboun province. Rescuers have successfully extracted five villagers who were trapped for over a week after entering the cave to search for minerals and were caught by a flash flood. International and Thai rescue teams, including divers with experience from the 2018 Thai cave rescue, are involved. The rising water levels have reached the second chamber, preventing further entry until pumps can lower the water. Survivors reported a narrow crack in the fifth chamber that might lead to a deeper section of the cave, offering hope for finding the remaining two missing people.

Rescuers in central Laos are facing significant challenges, including heavy rains and equipment failures, in their ongoing search for two individuals trapped in a flooded cave. Five other people who were trapped for over a week have already been rescued. The flash flood occurred last week when seven villagers entered the cave in Xaysomboun province to search for minerals. One person managed to escape and alert authorities. Divers from Laos, Thailand, and several other countries are collaborating on the rescue effort. Despite setbacks like a broken drainage pump and rising water levels, rescuers are hopeful of locating the remaining two victims, having received crucial information about the cave system from the previously rescued individuals.

Five villagers have been rescued from a flooded cave in Laos, where they became trapped on May 20 while searching for gold. Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining two missing men, who are believed to be trapped deeper within the cave system in central Xaysomboun province. Some of the freed survivors are assisting rescuers by providing information about the cave's deeper sections from their hospital rooms. This intelligence is considered substantial and is being used to develop a new search plan. A fresh rescue attempt was expected on Sunday. Reports indicate that four men who left the cave on Saturday managed to free themselves after water levels receded.

Rescuers in Laos have successfully evacuated four villagers who were trapped for 10 days in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province. The men had entered the cave to search for minerals when flash flooding blocked their exit. One villager escaped to alert authorities about the seven trapped individuals. The first man was rescued on Friday, with four more extracted on Saturday after water levels receded enough for divers to assist. Rescue efforts are ongoing to find the two remaining missing men.

Rescuers in Laos have successfully freed five of seven men who became trapped in a flooded cave for approximately 10 days. The group had entered the cave around May 19 or 20 to search for gold and minerals when heavy rains caused flash flooding, blocking their exit. Four additional men were brought out on Saturday, following the rescue of the first individual on Friday. The freed men were found alive on a rocky ledge and were provided with supplies while rescuers waited for water levels to drop. Divers described treacherous conditions within the narrow, flooded passages. Two members of the group remain missing deep inside the cave.

Four more miners have been freed from a flooded cave in Laos where they were trapped for 10 days, but two individuals remain missing. The rescue mission, which began with the extraction of the first man on Friday, involves divers navigating hazardous conditions including muddy water, sharp rocks, and narrow tunnels. The four men rescued on Saturday were found on a rocky ledge approximately 300 meters from the cave entrance. International diving teams, some with experience from the Thai cave rescue, are continuing the search for the remaining two missing men. It is believed the miners entered the cave last week searching for minerals and became trapped by flash flooding caused by heavy rain.

Rescuers are working to drain a flooded cave in Laos' Xaisomboun province to free five villagers trapped for over a week. The villagers entered the cave to search for valuable minerals, but heavy rains caused flooding, blocking their exit. Divers discovered the five alive on Wednesday, but two others remain missing. An international team of rescue experts, including divers experienced in a 2018 Thai cave rescue, are collaborating on the operation. Overnight rain has complicated efforts to pump water out of the cave. The five rescued villagers were found in good health but dehydrated, and have received food and water.

An international team, including Australian cave diver Josh Richards, is working to rescue seven people trapped in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province, Laos. The group entered the cave over a week ago to hunt wildlife and search for gold, but heavy rains blocked the entrance. Five individuals have been found alive, but two remain unaccounted for. Rescuers face challenges including low oxygen, ongoing rain, and the survivors' lack of dive experience. The cave is described as a smaller, more confined environment than the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, with unstable mud walls creating extremely low visibility underwater. Divers are being flown in from various countries to assist in extracting the survivors and searching for the missing.

One of five men stranded for nine days in a flooded cave in Laos has been rescued. The man, described as bedraggled and caked in mud, was led to safety by rescuers. The group had been suffering from chest pains and hunger. Initial rescue plans to pump out floodwaters failed, and a last resort of teaching the men scuba diving was considered. Rescuers stated they would assess the remaining four men and search for two others the following day. The plight of the trapped men has garnered international attention from the diving community.

Five villagers who were trapped in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, for over a week have been found alive, according to rescuers. The group entered the cave on May 19, but heavy rains caused flash flooding that blocked their exit, trapping seven people. Lao and Thai rescue teams, including divers, were involved in the operation. While five villagers were located safely, two others remain missing, and the search for them continues. The cave is in a remote, mountainous area, and rescue efforts have been hampered by difficult terrain and weather. Villagers reportedly frequented the cave in search of gold, despite warnings from authorities about safety concerns.

Five villagers who were trapped in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, for over a week have been found alive. The group entered the cave on May 19th, but heavy rains caused flash flooding that blocked their exit. Rescue efforts, involving Lao and Thai teams, located five individuals sitting on a rock surrounded by water. However, two other villagers remain missing, and the search for them continues. The cave is located in a remote, mountainous area, and rescue operations have been hampered by challenging terrain and ongoing heavy rain. While the reason for the villagers entering the cave is unconfirmed, it is reportedly frequented by residents searching for gold, despite authorities' warnings about safety concerns.

Rescue teams have found five of seven Lao nationals trapped in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, central Laos. The group entered the cave last week, but their exit was blocked by a landslide following heavy rain. The five survivors were found alive on Wednesday by Lao and Thai rescue teams. Search efforts are ongoing for the two remaining missing individuals. A Thai rescuer involved in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue operation is part of the current search.

A search operation for seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, entered its seventh day on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The villagers entered the cave on May 19, but heavy rain caused flash flooding that blocked their exit. Rescuers, including teams from neighboring Thailand, are facing challenging mountainous terrain and persistent rain, which are hampering their efforts to reach the group. Divers have navigated about 100 meters into the cave, with villagers believed to be trapped approximately 30 meters further. The villagers were reportedly in the cave searching for gold deposits, despite authorities' warnings about safety concerns. The Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People is exploring air shafts as a potential access point.

Seven people are trapped in a flooded cave in Laos' central Xaysomboun province after entering on Wednesday to search for gold and wildlife. Rain and landslides blocked the cave's entrance, preventing their escape. A survivor who managed to get out alerted authorities. Rescue efforts are underway, with cave divers navigating narrow, flooded passageways. Experts who participated in the 2018 Thai cave rescue are assisting the operation. Rescuers are working to pump water out of the cave, which is known to be frequented by villagers seeking gold and features extremely narrow chambers.

Seven people have been trapped for five days in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province, central Laos, after heavy rain caused landslides that blocked the entrance. Divers who participated in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand have joined the effort to free the group, who reportedly entered the cave to hunt for wildlife and search for gold. Rescuers are facing challenges due to the cave's narrow, flooded passageways and sharp rocks, with one tunnel being only 60cm tall. Experts are working to pump water out while inside teams fit ropes. Despite not receiving signs of life, rescuers are hopeful the trapped individuals are alive due to a reported air pocket deeper in the cave.

A search for seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave in Laos has entered its sixth day. The group was prospecting for gold when they became trapped in central Xaysomboun province. Heavy rains caused a landslip that struck the cave, and three members of the group were found dead earlier. Thai cave rescue teams have joined the ongoing mission, sharing images of the difficult conditions, including a flooded, narrow tunnel. The incident underscores the risks associated with the rush for gold driven by surging prices, particularly in unstable hillside mines.