Four men rescued from flooded Laos cave as search continues for two missing

Four men have been rescued from a flooded cave in Laos after being trapped underground for ten days by floodwaters.

Their rescue on Saturday comes a day after another man was freed. Search efforts continue for two others who remain missing.

The villagers reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by flash flooding. Another man escaped in time and alerted the authorities to the seven left behind.

Flood waters, which had blocked their exit, had receded enough to allow them to leave with divers who had been taking the villagers food and drink since they were found on Wednesday, Lao organisation Rescue Volunteer for People said on its Facebook page.

Five people have now been freed from the flooded cave after more than ten days underground. / Credit: AP

Footage has shown rescuers working inside the cave / Credit: Benz Norrased Palasing Seascout Diving via AP

Friday’s operation to free the first man took about 30 minutes, according to rescue organisations. Videos showed the moment he emerged from the water alongside a diver, catching his breath before struggling to crawl through a narrow, water-logged passage.

The men had been supplied with water, soft food and foil blankets to keep them warm, although videos shot inside the cave suggested that their conditions continued to deteriorate.

Rescue teams from Laos and neighbouring Thailand were joined by Japanese and Malaysian colleagues. Indonesian, French and Australian specialists also reportedly arrived at the site in a rugged area in the central province of Xaisomboun, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane.

Several of them had taken part in the complicated 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand of 12 schoolboys and their football coach.