4 More Rescued from Laos Cave; 5 Saved, 2 Still Missing

Seven Laotian citizens who were trapped in a remote mountain cave while searching for gold were blocked by flash floods. Following the rescue of the first survivor yesterday, rescue teams announced today that four more have been saved, bringing the total to five, while two remain missing. According to AFP, Malaysian rescue diver Lee Kian Lie stated via Messenger: 'Four trapped individuals have been rescued. Thanks to water pumps, the water level inside the cave dropped, allowing them to come out.' The Thailand Rescue Diver team posted on their Facebook page that they 'successfully brought out four trapped individuals' at approximately 3:10 PM today (4:10 PM Taiwan time). The post noted, 'A total of five have been rescued so far, and two are still missing.' According to Laotian state media, the seven villagers entered a cave in Xaysomboun Province, about 125 kilometers northeast of the capital Vientiane, on May 20. They were looking for gold when heavy rain triggered flash floods, blocking the exit and trapping them inside.