The men were among seven villagers trapped in a semi-submerged cave in central Xaysomboun province on May 20 when flash floods blocked the exit. The group had entered the cave while hunting bats and searching for gold in former mining areas.

Five survivors were located alive a week later. One was rescued on May 29, while four others were guided out the following day after rescuers pumped water from the cavern.

Malaysian cave diver Lee Kian Lie, who joined the operation, said unstable conditions near the cave entrance and the increasing danger to rescue personnel forced authorities to halt the search.

“We were so close,” Lee told AFP, adding that the cave had become too hazardous for divers despite improved water levels.

Thai rescue coordinator Kengkad Bongkawong said no further entries into the cave would be permitted because of the risks posed by flooding and unstable structures. Water-pumping operations, however, will continue outside the cave.

Rescuers had stocked food and survival supplies at various points inside the cave in the hope that the missing men might still be alive.Heavy rainfall forecast for the coming days further complicated rescue efforts.

International cave specialists from Malaysia, Finland and Japan participated in the operation, which rescuers described as one of the most challenging cave missions in recent years.

The men have been trapped for 10 days inside the cave after entering the site to search for valuable minerals before rising floodwaters blocked their exit. Five survivors were located alive on Wednesday, while two members of the group remain unaccounted for.
Rescuers successfully evacuated the first survivor on Friday after a complex operation through submerged and narrow cave passages.

Officials said the remaining four men were not yet ready for extraction and that efforts were continuing to lower water levels and improve conditions for a safe evacuation.

“One person has made it out safely, and we will not stop until the remaining four make it home too,” Thai cave diver Norrased Palasing, who is participating in the operation, said in a social media post on Saturday.
Video footage released by rescuers showed the first survivor emerging from flooded tunnels with assistance from divers before being wrapped in a thermal blanket and moved to safety.

Authorities did not identify which of the five survivors was evacuated.

The trapped villagers have been supplied with water, soft food and emergency blankets, though footage recorded inside the cave indicated their physical condition had deteriorated during the prolonged ordeal.

The rescue operation has drawn specialists from Laos, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia, with Indonesian, French and Australian experts also reported to have joined the effort. Several members of the international team previously participated in the high-profile 2018 rescue of a youth football team trapped in a cave in northern Thailand.

Rescuers face difficult conditions inside the cave system. According to Thai rescue worker Kengkaj Bongkawong, teams must navigate more than 200 meters of narrow, twisting, flooded passages before reaching a submerged tunnel that leads to the trapped men.

The operation is complicated by poor visibility, confined spaces and the challenge of guiding survivors with no diving experience through underwater sections of the cave. Video released by rescuers showed divers instructing the trapped men on the use of breathing equipment and underwater survival techniques ahead of their evacuation.

Search efforts for the two missing villagers are expected to focus on deeper sections of the cave beyond the area where the survivors were found.

Rescue officials said the area is heavily flooded, increasing the risks for divers conducting the search.
The cave is located in the mountainous province of Xaisomboun, approximately 120 kilometers north of the Lao capital, Vientiane.

The flooding struck the Havza district in Samsun province after heavy rains caused local rivers to overflow, sending fast-moving water through streets and sweeping away vehicles and debris, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Emergency footage broadcast by local media showed submerged roads and stranded residents, including a truck driver standing atop his vehicle awaiting rescue as floodwaters surged around him.

Authorities said basement and ground-floor levels of multiple buildings were flooded as rescue teams worked overnight to evacuate residents and clear blocked streets.

Anadolu reported that none of the injured were in critical condition. Some victims sought treatment independently, while others were transported to hospitals by emergency responders.

Firefighters, police units and disaster response teams were deployed across the district to assist stranded residents and remove debris left behind by the floodwaters.

Turkiye has faced repeated episodes of severe flooding in recent years, particularly along the Black Sea region, where mountainous terrain and intense seasonal rainfall have increased the risk of flash floods and landslides.

The General Directorate of Civil Defense said the warning was based on projections from the National Center for Meteorology, which expects moderate to heavy rainfall across regions including Makkah, Riyadh, Madinah, Qassim, Hail, Tabuk, the Eastern Province, Northern Borders, Al-Jouf, Al-Baha, Asir, Jazan and Najran.

Authorities said the unstable weather could trigger flash flooding, hailstorms and strong downdrafts capable of generating dust storms that may significantly reduce visibility.In response, Hafar Al-Batin University suspended in-person classes on Monday, shifting to remote learning in its main campus and affiliated colleges in Khafji and Al-Nairyah following meteorological advisories.

The civil defense agency advised residents to remain in safe locations, avoid flood-prone areas and refrain from entering valleys or swimming in affected zones, while monitoring official updates.The warnings follow a series of escalating alerts issued over the weekend, including a red alert for the Madinah region, where forecasters predicted intense rainfall, hail and near-zero visibility conditions.

Weather authorities said the system developed over northern and western regions on Saturday before expanding into central and eastern areas on Sunday, bringing widespread rain and dust-laden winds.

Officials said they continue to monitor the situation closely as adverse weather conditions persist, urging the public to prioritize safety precautions.

Authorities said a vehicle carrying 10 people was caught in a wadi in Barka, where seven individuals were rescued while three others were later found dead. In a separate incident in Al-Maawil, two citizens died after their vehicle was carried away by floodwaters, with their bodies subsequently recovered.

The Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said emergency teams were deployed to both locations following reports of vehicles being overwhelmed by rising water levels in wadis, which are prone to sudden flooding during periods of intense rainfall.

The agency confirmed that rescue operations resulted in saving seven people from the Barka incident.Officials attributed the fatalities to severe weather conditions affecting parts of the country, though no additional details on rainfall intensity or affected regions were immediately provided.

Oman has faced recurring episodes of deadly flooding in recent years, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall that cause wadis to overflow rapidly. In April 2024, flash floods killed at least 20 people and caused widespread inundation across several areas, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of low-lying zones and road networks to sudden water surges.

Authorities have previously issued warnings about the dangers of crossing flooded wadis, which can turn hazardous within minutes due to upstream rainfall and fast-moving currents.