5 villagers stuck in a flooded cave for more than a week found alive in Laos, rescuers say

Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People, which has been working closely with local authorities in the rescue efforts, told The Associated Press that five people were found safe and alive but two more were still missing, and the search will continue for them.

“I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” he said in a voice message to the news agency.

The cave is a narrow chamber often visited by villagers searching for gold deposits, Bounkham had previously told the AP. He said that authorities had repeatedly warned people against entering the cave out of safety concerns.

State-run Lao National Radio reported that Thai rescuers arrived at the site on Sunday for assistance. Divers have since begun navigating flooded sections of the cave toward the area where they believe the group may be trapped.

Those helping out include divers who took part in the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped for weeks in a Thai cave.