The joyful five villagers picutred inside the cave after they were located on Wednesday afternoon. –Photo Mikko Paasi

All seven villagers found alive during heroic cave rescue

All seven villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in Longchaeng district, Xaysomboun province, have been found alive and safe after being missing for seven days.
Rescue teams first located five of the men at about 4:30pm on Wednesday, about 300 metres from the entrance, officials at the scene told the Vientiane Times.
A few hours later, rescuers found the other two missing men deeper inside the cave, bringing the week-long search to a successful end.
A representative of the Xaysomboun Provincial Commission for Information and Education of the Central Committee said “The remaining two people were found deeper inside the cave after rescue teams earlier located the first five.”
News that all seven villagers were alive and well spread quickly among relatives and local residents gathered outside the cave, where many had waited anxiously for days for updates on the rescue effort.
Authorities said all seven men were conscious and undergoing health checks as rescue workers prepare to get them out of the cave safely.
“We are planning the extraction carefully, with safety as the top priority, because the cave entrance is very narrow and conditions inside are hazardous,” the official said.
It is hoped that all seven men will be brought out of the cave on Thursday if the weather and other conditions are favourable.
The seven villagers from Longchaeng district entered the cave on May 20 to search for gold deposits before becoming trapped when heavy rainfall caused flooding inside.
Initial rescue efforts were hampered by rising water levels, muddy conditions, difficult terrain, and bad weather, forcing rescuers to pump water from the cave continuously day and night.
A joint Lao-Thai rescue team, supported by international cave-diving experts, including specialists involved in Thailand’s 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, have been working around the clock since May 24 in the search for the missing men.
Three cave-diving experts from Thailand and Finland are among those assisting in the mission, while medical teams, ambulances and rescue vehicles have remained on standby outside the cave entrance throughout the operation.
The discovery of all seven men alive was a joyous development in one of Laos’ most challenging cave rescue missions in recent years and brought a wave of relief across the country.

By Phonepaseuth Volakhoun
 (Latest Update May 27, 2026)