Rescuers pull four people trapped in flooded cave in Laos

Rescuers pulled four people trapped in a flooded cave in Laos, Thai rescuers said on Saturday.

Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat/Reuters

30 May 2026 at 09:17:26

Rescuers pose for a photo as they work to save trapped people in a cave in Xaisomboun Province, Laos, May 29, 2026.

METTA THAM KALASIN RESCUE /Handout via REUTERS

BANGKOK - Rescuers pulled four people trapped in a flooded cave in Laos, Thai rescuers said on Saturday.

The operation comes hours after another man was rescued from the flooded cave on Friday night.

The five people rescued are among seven Lao nationals who had entered the cave in Xaisomboun province to prospect for gold, but their exit was blocked, leaving them trapped for more than a week.

Rescue divers share the equipment usage guidelines with people trapped inside a cave during their rescue mission in Xaisomboun Province, Laos, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on May 30, 2026. Norrased Palasing/via Reuters

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)