SOME of those freed from a flooded cave in Laos are helping in efforts to find the last two missing men trapped inside, rescuers have said.
So far, five of the seven initially missing have been rescued but it is believed the remaining two men are trapped deeper inside the cave in a mountainous area of the central Xaysomboun province, BBC News reported yesterday.
The men, all local villagers, entered the narrow tunnels on May 20 in search of gold but flash floods stopped them from leaving.
A rescuer said that several survivors were giving advice from their hospital room on how to find the remaining men, including descriptions of the deeper part of the cave.
A Laotian rescue group said the men’s information on the cave system – which extends deep underground and in some places measures around 50cm wide – was ‘considered substantial’ and was being used in preparing a new search plan.
It comes as reports said the four men who left the cave on Saturday managed to free themselves without the help of rescuers after the water level lowered.
One unverified video posted to social media showed cheers from both rescuers and onlookers as the men emerged from the cave.
It was unclear what caused the water to lower, but a Japanese rescue diver said that flood water was being drained from the cave.
Yoshitaka Isaji said the passage used in rescue efforts on Saturday was currently impassable because a drainage pump had broken, but repair efforts were ongoing.
Later, Laos’s Rescue Volunteer for People group said on social media that search operations were suspended due to heavy rain causing water to flow down into the cave’s entrance. They said efforts would continue today.
According to the Met Office forecast for nearby capital Vientiane, rain is unlikely in the region today.
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