Rescue operation for seven men trapped in Laos cave

Seven Laos nationals entered a cave in the central province of Xaisomboun last week searching for gold, but were trapped by a landslide caused by heavy rain. Five of the men were located on Wednesday in a narrow shaft approximately 300 meters from the cave entrance. An international team of volunteer cave divers, including specialists from Thailand, France, Indonesia, Japan, and Australia, is conducting the rescue operation. One of the trapped individuals was successfully extracted from the cave on Friday evening at 20:36 local time. Rescuers reported that the remaining four located individuals are weak, suffering from hunger and chest pains, and require medical attention. The rescue mission involves navigating complex, flooded, and narrow passages. Search efforts for the two remaining missing members of the group are scheduled to resume the following day.