Laos cave rescue: Divers drag themselves through tiny gap to reach trapped villagers

29 May 2026 • 4:28 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Laos cave rescue: Divers drag themselves through tiny gap to reach trapped villagers

  • Five out of seven villagers have been rescued from a flooded cave in Laos after being trapped for a week.
  • The group became stranded on 20 May after entering an abandoned gold mine, with heavy rain causing flash flooding that blocked their exit.
  • Footage shared by Thai rescue team MTK Command and Control Center on Thursday (28 May) shows divers reaching the missing men.
  • Rescuers had to squeeze through tiny gaps to reach the five men, who were found crouching together on a rock.
  • Two men from the original group of seven remain unaccounted for following the rescue operation.

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