Race Against Floodwaters as Rescuers Hunt for Two Missing in Laos Cave

Bangkok-Rescue teams in Laos are searching for an alternative route into a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province where two people remain trapped nearly two weeks after heavy rains blocked the main entrance.

Five of the seven villagers initially stranded inside the cave have already been rescued, while multinational teams from Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Finland, Japan, Indonesia, France and Australia continue efforts to reach the remaining two.

Rescuers are pumping water from the cave and exploring possible dry passages and air shafts that could provide access to the missing individuals, who are believed to be trapped deeper inside the flooded system.

The group reportedly entered the cave in search of valuable minerals before a flash flood sealed their exit, triggering a major international rescue operation.