The $30 million rescue operation

Rescue workers in Laos are working to free five villagers trapped in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province after ten days. The first survivor was safely evacuated on May 29,2026, and teams aim to extract the remaining four soon.

The operation faces extreme challenges including narrow passages, zero visibility, and non-diver survivors. divers from Laos, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, and Australia are involved in the multinational effort.

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The trapped villagers had entered the cave seeking valuable minerals before flash flooding cut off their exit route... One other villager managed to escape and alert authorities, leading to a multinational rescue effort involving teams from Laos, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, and Australia.

The evacuation of the first survivor was captured on video, showing him emerging from the water alongside a Thai diver , then crawling through a confined, flooded passage before being assisted to his feet.

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Rescuers noted that his hands were injured, and he was wrapped in a foil blanket to maintain warmth. Additional footage depicted his exit from the cave entrance, where he walked unsteadily with support from two men before being handed over to medical personnel amid a waiting crowd.

Inside the cave, the men had been supplied with water, soft food, and foil blankets, but conditions appeared to worsen over time.

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Divers from the Thai Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin and the Association of Volunteers for Lao People, among others, have been teaching the survivors essential underwater breathing techniques, emphasizing mouth-only respiration to prevent panic and conserve air.

Rescue leader Kengkaj Bongkawong detailed the difficulties of the operation in a video recorded just an hour before the first evacuation.

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The team established a staging station in a large chamber deep within the cave, accessible only after navigating more than 200 meters of twisting, narrow, flood-filled passages with sharp walls.

From that chamber, divers must travel through a flooded tunnel roughly 30 meters long to reach the trapped men.. The risks include cold water, restricted movement,and the potential for survivors to panic in zero-visibility conditions.

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The rescuers are also draining water from the cave to facilitate the evacuations and continue searching for two additional people who remain missing.

The multinational team remains committed to bringing all survivors home safely, with plans to explore deeper sections of the cave, about 20 to 25 meters beyond the current location of the trapped villagers.