Rescuers assist a survivor after he emerges from the flooded cave in Xaysomboun province on May 30 following 10 days trapped underground. Rescue teams are continuing the search for two people who are still missing. --Photo Pathet Lao

Rescuers race to find two missing men after five saved from flooded cave

Rescue teams are racing against time to locate two men still missing inside a flooded cave in Xaysomboun province after successfully bringing five survivors to safety. The group had been trapped since May 20 when rising floodwaters cut off their escape route.
Cave diving specialists from Thailand, Finland, Australia, Indonesia, France, Japan, and Malaysia continue searching deep inside the cave despite perilous conditions, including rising water levels from rainfall, poor visibility, and narrow passages.
President of Rescue Volunteer for People and field operations leader, Mr Bounkham Luanglath, told the Vientiane Times on Sunday morning that persistent flooding remains the greatest challenge facing the rescue effort.
The search entered a new phase on Saturday after the final known survivor emerged from the cave, ending a days-long operation that captured international attention and raised hopes that the remaining two men can also be found.
Families and villagers are anxiously awaiting news as rescuers push further into the cave system, where the two missing people are believed to be trapped.
“Our current plan is to pump out as much water as possible,” Mr Bounkham said.
“Rain continues to feed water back into the cave, so we must lower the water level before we can safely proceed further inside to search for the missing people.”
Current assessments suggest that the two missing villagers may be located significantly deeper within the cave system than the area where the five survivors were found.
“We believe we still need to travel much further,” Mr Bounkham said. “It could be another chamber several hundred metres beyond the point where the previous group was discovered.”
Despite the challenging conditions and the uncertainty surrounding the mission, Mr Bounkham expressed optimism.
“We still believe both of them are alive,” he added. “As long as there is no evidence to the contrary, we will continue the search. We will not give up.” The ordeal began on May 20 when the men entered an uncharted cave in Xaysomboun province before heavy rainfall triggered a flash flood that blocked the exit.
Five survivors were brought out during the rescue operation, which was completed on Saturday afternoon. All five are receiving treatment at Longchaeng District Hospital for exhaustion and dehydration.
One of the survivors, Mr Meud Duangsoukdee, told Lao National Radio that he and four others entered the cave to hunt for bats and were unaware of the heavy rain outside until they attempted to leave.
“We had no idea it was raining outside. When we tried to leave, the water had already blocked the exit,” he said.
Mr Meud said the group was forced to move to higher ground as floodwaters rose inside the cave. Their food ran out within a day and they survived by drinking water.
He strongly denied rumours that the group had entered the cave to search for gold.
Mr Meud also rejected claims that they had eaten wooden gold-panning trays to stay alive.
Regarding the two people still missing, he said they had entered the cave on the same day but at a different time.
The turning point in the heroic rescue effort came when divers finally found the group of five.
“We heard sounds not far away and bashed rocks together to make a noise, so that whoever was looking for us could locate us,” Mr Mued said. After the divers found the men, it was another three days before they could be brought out through the flooded cave.
Mr Mued said each man was fitted with an oxygen mask before being guided through submerged passages by divers.
Another survivor, Mr Laen Savaengsi, said he almost lost hope after seeing floodwater completely block the cave exit.
“When we saw the water completely blocking the exit, after two days, I had almost completely given up. I thought our chances of survival were minimal — without divers coming to help, we would definitely have died,” he said.
Mr Laen said thoughts of his family remained with him throughout the ordeal.
“When I close my eyes, I think only of my family and worry about them intensely,” he said.
He also denied reports that the group entered the cave to search for gold illegally, saying they had only gone to hunt for bats, and inspect traces of old excavations left by others.
But Mr Laen said that some members of the group chewed pieces of dry wood after suffering severe hunger pangs. He didn’t mention what the dry wood was.
The survivors’ statements are inconsistent with an interview given by the Chairman of the Longchaeng District Administrative Committee, Mr Bounphong Khamanyvong, who said that, believing there might be wildlife such as bats or valuable minerals inside the cave due to unusual soil colours, some group had gone inside to search for deposits.
Video footage shared on social media showed emotional scenes as survivors emerged from the cave to applause and tears from family members, villagers, and rescuers.
Despite the successful rescue of the first five men, attention is now focused on the fate of the two other missing men as search teams continue their hazardous mission underground.
The rescue of the five men has given fresh hope to families waiting above ground that the remaining two will also be found alive.

By Phonepaseuth Volakhoun
 (Latest Update May 1, 2026)