VIENTIANE: Rescuers are continuing the search for the final two men trapped in a cave in Xaysomboun province as teams explore new access routes and work to overcome flooding inside the cave.
The Volunteer Rescue for the People unit said teams intensified efforts in Longchaeng district on Thursday (June 4), with Thai and Lao rescuers working around the clock in a bid to reach the two missing individuals.
Inside the cave, Thai specialists are inspecting areas affected by landslides and checking chambers 2 and 3 for water.
If conditions allow, they will move deeper into chambers 4 and 5 to assess water levels and determine whether a passage can be opened to chamber 6, where the two individuals are believed to be trapped.
A rope access team from Thailand, working with volunteers from The Volunteer Rescue, has identified three separate shaft openings above the cave.
Search teams will continue exploring all three routes simultaneously in the hope of finding a safer and faster way to reach the missing pair.
Another team is carrying out scanning operations in the lower, inner and forward sections of the cave system to gather more information about possible access routes.
According to the Volunteer Rescue for the People unit, Thai experts recently completed a detailed assessment of water flow inside the cave.
Secretary of the Longchaeng district Party Committee, Bounphong Khamanyvong, told the Vientiane Times they have now identified water flow patterns, specifically where it enters and exits the cave.
“We are planning to install barriers to prevent more water from entering. As for the exit point, excavators have been deployed to clear the channel and accelerate drainage,” he said.
The search has faced repeated setbacks from heavy rain, which has slowed efforts to pump water from the cave.
Rescue workers have also had to contend with extremely dangerous conditions.
Following a recent storm, floodwater surged through the cave and caused some soil and rock to collapse inside, creating new obstacles for teams trying to reach the trapped individuals.
The demanding operation has also taken a physical toll. Phaly, 35, who joined the search effort, lost consciousness while on duty and was flown to Mittaphab Hospital in Vientiane on Wednesday.
Rescue officials confirmed he had recovered and was flown home on Thursday with assistance from Vientiane Rescue Unit 1624.
Despite the challenges, rescuers remain determined to continue the mission.
Among them is Finnish cave diver Mikko Pietari Paasi, who received a lifesaving medal from the President of Finland and played a key role in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand.
Mikko arrived in Xaysomboun on May 25 alongside Thai cave diving expert Kuben to help search for the seven people trapped in the cave.
The operation was made especially difficult by narrow and dangerous passages, but rescuers pressed on despite the risks.
Their efforts led to the location and rescue of five men, who came out of the cave on May 30 and returned home on June 2.
Mikko has pledged to remain in Xaysomboun until the mission is complete.
The search for the remaining two trapped individuals continues, sustained by cooperation between Lao and international rescue teams and the hope of bringing them home safely.
After more than 10 days of searching through flooded passages, unstable rock and difficult terrain, rescuers refuse to give up hope.
While each day brings new challenges, families, volunteers and rescue teams continue to believe the two men can still be found.
Their determination has united people from Laos and abroad in a shared mission to bring the pair home and bring an end to what is probably Laos’ most challenging rescue operation. - Vientiane Times/ANN
