Rescuers search for new ways into cave in Laos where two men feared trapped

CNN

By Rebecca Wright, Kocha Olarn, Angie Puranasamriddhi, June Jeong, Laura Sharman, Sana Noor Haq, CNN

Vientiane, Laos (CNN) — Rescuers in central Laos are racing to find two men feared to be trapped in a flooded cave network for almost two weeks, as storms batter the dense jungle.

The men are thought to have entered the cave on May 20, just before heavy rain caused flash flooding and blocked their exit. Five others escaped the cave’s narrow tunnels after a crew of international divers were summoned to the Southeast Asian nation.

Rescuers rappelled down a newly discovered vertical shaft of more than 100 meters (320 feet) on Monday, raising hopes the drop could provide a safer pathway to the trapped men.

Divers waited anxiously for authorities to bring advanced scanning equipment that could produce a clearer image of the cave, Thai rescuer Kengkard Bonkgawong told CNN.

Rescuers could potentially use that equipment while being lowered down the shaft, added Kengkard. Until that point, they were using a map drawn with help of five survivors.

However, later Australian diver Josh Richards told CNN the shaft was “completely full of rockfall and landslide” and they “couldn’t identify any way” down it. “We’re not entirely sure what the next steps are,” he said in a video clip on Monday.

Kengkard echoed those concerns on Tuesday, warning that flooding was still “effectively blocking access into the cave.” Rescue teams deployed additional pumps to drain water “as quickly as possible,” he said.

The diver suggested that if enough water is removed, the two missing survivors could leave the cave using the same route they originally used to enter. “Weather remains a major obstacle,” he added. “A storm system has moved into the area and rain continues to fall.”

Water is a constant threat

The men became trapped during an expedition to find gold within the cramped and muddy underground caverns. Conditions at the cave entrance remain challenging, with the latest rainfall causing flash flooding.

Heavy machinery was brought into dig more water retention ponds, to hold water pumped from the cave.

In a livestream, Kengkard had expressed optimism at being able to rescue the remaining two trapped villagers, but described the challenges of operating during monsoon season.

“The mission here in Laos is very tough. It’s also very dangerous. Really dangerous,” he said.

“To go down into these holes, to go down inside the cave, if suddenly it rains, dumping down some water, it’s like pouring water into a straw,” he said. “Instantly, the straw will be filled up. You can’t get in. You can’t get out. That’s something we need to be mindful about and it’s the biggest risk.”

Late Monday divers rolled back reports that one rescuer heard a “knocking response” from deep inside the cave network.

Of the survivors, one was guided to safety on Friday, while the other four managed to escape unaided the next day after extensive efforts to drain the floodwater from the area.

All five are recovering in hospital after surviving for more than a week on water and sleep to preserve their strength before help arrived.

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CNN’s Becky Anderson contributed reporting.