Search continues for 7 villagers trapped in a flooded Laos cave
[May 26, 2026]
By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI
BANGKOK (AP) — A search operation for seven villagers trapped inside a
flooded cave in central Laos entered its seventh day on Tuesday, as
rescuers encountered difficult terrain and weather as they are trying to
reach the group whose condition remains unknown.
The villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19, but
heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit, according to
Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.
The Lao organization Rescue Volunteer for People, which is working
closely with the local authorities, posted on its Facebook page that
Tuesday’s operation plan includes exploring air shafts above the cave in
hopes of identifying possible access points. and locating the trapped
people.
Rescuers from neighboring Thailand also arrived at the site over the
weekend to assist the operation.
Challenging conditions hamper rescue efforts
According to rescuers, divers have navigated about 100 meters into the
flooded, narrow cave. They believe the villagers may be trapped about 30
meters beyond the furthest point currently accessible. They are working
to pump water out of the cave to aid the search efforts.
The site is in a remote area in Xaisomboun province's Longcheng
district, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital,
Vientiane. Rescuers at the scene have detailed on social media the
challenging mountainous terrain and heavy rain that is hampering the
operation.
Videos shared online by Thai rescuers showed that reaching the cave's
entrance requires a steep hike on foot of roughly 4 kilometers (2.5
miles). The entrance is also steep and rocky, and barely wide enough for
a single person to climb through at a time.
Inside, rescuers must go through muddy passageways, flooded sections and
narrow tunnels that forced them to crawl forward.
Villagers were reportedly mining
There has been no official confirmation on why the villagers went into
the cave, although the rescuers involved said that they went in to look
for gold deposits.
Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao rescue group has told The Associated Press
that the cave was frequented by local residents looking for gold,
although authorities had repeatedly warned them against entering the
cave out of safety concerns.
The average per capita income in Laos of about $2,000-2,500 is among the
lowest in Southeast Asia, and it is less still in underdeveloped rural
areas.
Laos is not known as a major gold producer, but its mining industry is
sizable considering the country’s developing economy. The mining sector
is fueled by foreign direct investment, largely from neighboring
Thailand and China. Copper is a major export, and mining for rare earth
elements, needed for most modern technologies, has become more common in
Laos recently.
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In this release Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, rescuers work to reach
seven people who have been trapped in a cave in Xaisomboun province,
Laos, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin via AP)
The Laos Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said it has no official
information to share with the media. The Southeast Asian nation is a
one-party communist state with no organized opposition and the
government keeps a tight lid on information.
Cave rescues are risky business
The news quickly drew headlines in Thailand because of its
resemblance to the dramatic 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand,
where 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped for more than two
weeks before being safely rescued in an operation that became a
global sensation. A former Thai navy SEAL diver was killed during
the search and rescue effort.
A new tragedy occurred earlier this month, with five Italian divers
found dead after they went missing while diving into a cave in the
Maldives. A Maldivian military diver who was part of the recovery
team was killed during the high-risk operation to retrieve their
bodies.
A major health risk of being trapped in a cave is cold conditions
quickly leading to hypothermia. The body can cope for weeks without
food, but clean water is necessary to prevent dehydration. A
contaminated water supply could cause diarrhea, hastening
dehydration.
Declining oxygen levels cause symptoms similar to altitude sickness
and in the long run can damage the lungs and other organs, while
carbon dioxide buildup causes exhaustion and eventual
unconsciousness.
Constant darkness disrupts time perception and the body’s circadian
rhythms. It also causes extreme sensitivity when the eyes have to
adjust again to light.
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Associated Press journalists Grant Peck, Anton L. Delgado and Haruka
Nuga contributed to this report.
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