Rescuers free four more men from flooded Laos cave, two still missing | Floods News
Rescue Operations Continue in Laos Cave Incident
Published: May 30, 2026
Rescue teams in central Laos have successfully extracted four additional men from a flooded cave, resulting in a total of five individuals rescued from a group of seven who became trapped while searching for gold. Two others remain unaccounted for.
The four men were brought to safety on Saturday, just a day after the initial rescue. The group had been trapped underground for approximately ten days after heavy rainfall caused flooding within the cave.
According to the Thailand Rescue Diver Facebook page, the successful extraction occurred around 3:10 p.m. local time (08:10 GMT). Rescuers reported that water levels inside the cave had receded sufficiently to allow the men to walk and swim to safety, guided by divers.
The rescue operation has drawn support from teams across several countries. However, officials caution that the situation remains precarious, as two members of the group are still missing within the flooded passages.
Images shared by Lao and Thai rescue teams depicted the men being carried out on stretchers, covered in mud and equipped with oxygen masks and foil blankets. Footage captured at the scene showed some men collapsing upon their emergence from the cave, quickly embraced by rescue personnel.
The five rescued individuals were located alive on Wednesday, huddled on a rocky ledge approximately 300 meters (980 feet) from the cave’s entrance. Due to unsafe conditions, rescuers provided them with water, soft food, and blankets to sustain them until they could be evacuated.
“The first one is out. Safe and sound!” wrote Manat Artmongkron, a technician involved in the rescue, following the successful evacuation of the initial survivor on Friday.
Diving teams described challenging conditions within the narrow, flooded tunnels, where visibility was reported to be nearly nonexistent. One particular section was noted for its constricted 25-meter passage, making navigation difficult.
The group entered the cave around May 19 or 20 in search of gold and minerals, local officials stated, before flash flooding sealed their exit. An eighth villager, who managed to escape, alerted authorities to the situation.
Rescue teams are preparing to advance further into the cave, approximately 20 to 25 meters beyond where the survivors were located, to search for the two missing men. That area, however, remains severely flooded.
Local authorities noted that residents in the remote, mountainous province of Xaisomboun frequently venture into caves for foraging despite ongoing warnings regarding safety risks.
