Rescuers End Search for Two Missing Men in Flooded Laos Cave

Vientiane— Rescue teams on Saturday suspended efforts to locate two men missing in a flooded cave in Laos after more than two weeks, citing growing safety risks and diminishing hopes of finding them alive.

The men were among seven villagers trapped in a semi-submerged cave in central Xaysomboun province on May 20 when flash floods blocked the exit. The group had entered the cave while hunting bats and searching for gold in former mining areas.

Five survivors were located alive a week later. One was rescued on May 29, while four others were guided out the following day after rescuers pumped water from the cavern.

Malaysian cave diver Lee Kian Lie, who joined the operation, said unstable conditions near the cave entrance and the increasing danger to rescue personnel forced authorities to halt the search.

“We were so close,” Lee told AFP, adding that the cave had become too hazardous for divers despite improved water levels.

Thai rescue coordinator Kengkad Bongkawong said no further entries into the cave would be permitted because of the risks posed by flooding and unstable structures. Water-pumping operations, however, will continue outside the cave.

Rescuers had stocked food and survival supplies at various points inside the cave in the hope that the missing men might still be alive.Heavy rainfall forecast for the coming days further complicated rescue efforts.

International cave specialists from Malaysia, Finland and Japan participated in the operation, which rescuers described as one of the most challenging cave missions in recent years.