Four more men freed from flooded Laos cave after 10 days
Four men who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos for 10 days have been freed, Thai rescuers say - a day after another man was rescued. They are among seven villagers who entered the narrow tunnels in search of gold but were prevented from leaving when flash floods hit the
Four men who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos for 10 days have been freed, Thai rescuers say - a day after another man was rescued.
They are among seven villagers who entered the narrow tunnels in search of gold but were prevented from leaving when flash floods hit the remote mountain area of central Xaysomboun province on 20 May.
Only five were found alive by rescuers on Wednesday. Two men remain missing.
The cave system, which extends deep underground, is also extremely narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50cm (20in) wide, rescuers say.
The four men were successfully freed at about 15:10 local time (08:10 GMT) on Saturday, according to a post on the Thailand Rescue Diver Facebook page.
It has not yet been disclosed exactly how the men were brought to safety.
In an unverified video posted to one of the Thai rescue worker's social media accounts, a chorus of cheers could be heard coming from both searchers and onlookers as the four men gradually emerged from the cave.
One of the men was smiling as he was escorted to a make-shift medical tent, while the remaining three could be seen in emotional embraces with rescuers. One man cried out as he hugged one of the formerly trapped miners.

