Rescuers in Laos have located five villagers alive after they spent a week trapped inside a flooded cave system.
Emergency teams in Laos rescued five villagers who were trapped inside a flooded cave after heavy rain blocked the entrance. Two other people from the group are still missing.
The seven villagers entered the cave last Wednesday in search of gold deposits and wildlife but became trapped when rising floodwaters sealed the exit. Rescue footage showed divers squeezing through narrow, muddy tunnels that were almost completely underwater.
According to rescue teams, the cave system stretches deep underground, with some sections measuring only 50cm wide. Specialist divers described the operation as extremely dangerous due to flooding, collapse risks and poor air quality.
Thai and Laotian rescuers located the survivors about 300 metres from the cave entrance. Search operations are continuing for the remaining two missing villagers.
The rescue effort has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Thai cave rescue, where international teams saved 12 boys and their football coach after they were trapped underground for more than two weeks.
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