Five villagers missing in a flooded Laos cave for more than a week have been found alive.

BANGKOK — Rescuers reported on Wednesday that five villagers who had been trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos for over a week had been discovered alive, but two more are still unaccounted for.
According to the Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation, the villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19, but flash flooding caused by heavy rain blocked the exit and trapped seven people.
The Associated Press was informed by Bounkham Luanglath of Rescue Volunteer for People, a Lao organization that has been closely collaborating with local authorities in the rescue efforts, that five people have been found alive and safe, but two more are still unaccounted for and will continue to be sought.

I’m still trembling. In his voicemail, he said, “Our team made it happen.”
A video that appeared to capture the moment divers emerged from the water and found the trapped villagers was shared by a Thai rescue team that took part in the mission. The villagers were seen in the video sitting on a rock in the middle of floodwater, each with a headlamp.

In other videos, rescuers were seen celebrating the discovery by jumping around, hugging, and cheering both inside and outside the cave.
Over the weekend, rescue personnel from nearby Thailand arrived at the scene. Divers from various countries participated in the challenging 2018 rescue of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach who were stranded in a cave for more than two weeks before being safely rescued in northern Thailand.

In other videos, rescuers were seen celebrating the discovery by jumping around, hugging, and cheering both inside and outside the cave.
Over the weekend, rescue personnel from nearby Thailand arrived at the scene. Divers from various countries participated in the challenging 2018 rescue of 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach who were stranded in a cave for more than two weeks before being safely rescued in northern Thailand.

Rescuers were seen jumping around, giving hugs, and applauding both inside and outside the cave in other videos as they celebrated the discovery.
Rescue workers from neighboring Thailand arrived at the scene over the weekend. The difficult 2018 rescue of twelve schoolboys and their soccer coach, who were trapped in a cave for more than two weeks before being safely rescued in northern Thailand, involved divers from several nations.

Videos posted online by Thai rescuers demonstrated that it takes a strenuous 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) walk to reach the cave’s entrance. Additionally, the entrance is narrow enough for one person to climb through at a time and is steep and rocky.
The reason the villagers entered the cave has not been officially confirmed. Bounkham, however, has claimed that despite authorities’ repeated warnings to the locals not to enter the cave due to safety concerns, the cave was frequented by locals seeking gold.