Expert teams race against time in Laos to rescue five villagers trapped in a remote cave.

An international team of divers is racing against challenging conditions in central Laos to extract five villagers found alive after being trapped in a flooded cave for over a week. Seven men initially entered the Xaisomboun province cave on May 19 to search for gold and hunt wildlife when heavy rains caused flash flooding and a landslide, blocking their exit. On May 27, specialist divers located five of the trapped individuals, who were reported to be healthy but hungry and dehydrated.

The complex rescue operation continues today, May 29, to safely bring the five villagers out through narrow, muddy, and inundated passages. Rescuers, including veterans of the 2018 Thai cave rescue, are supplying the trapped men with food and water while developing a plan for their extraction, which is expected to be a multi-day effort due to the hazardous environment. The search for the remaining two missing individuals is ongoing amidst persistent rain and difficult terrain.