Specialist divers head to Laos to join 'extremely challenging' cave rescue

A team of specialist divers were headed to central Laos to help efforts to rescue seven people trapped in a cave after heavy rains triggered a landslide last week, a Thai volunteer group said on Friday.

Seven Lao nationals had entered the cave in Xaisomboun province to prospect for gold, but their exit was blocked. A team of volunteers from neighbouring Thailand joined the rescue efforts on Sunday.

Among the new reinforcements were Robin Cuesta from France, Audita Harsono from Indonesia, Japan's Yoshitaka Isaji, Naruchit Kiatmaneesri from Thailand and Australia's Josh Richards, the volunteer group posted on Facebook.

Kengkard Bongkawong, a Thai cave diver involved in the mission, said in a Facebook post on Friday that the health of the survivors was deteriorating as they awaited evacuation.

"The rescue operation is extremely challenging, as it involves moving them through narrow passages stretching hundreds of metres and requiring underwater diving," he said.

Footage taken on Thursday by Norrased Palasing, another Thai volunteer, showed survivors sitting on a ledge deep in the cave and crying with relief.

Norrased's team found five of the seven trapped people. In the footage, he told them that rescuers would bring food into the cave while efforts were being made to pump out the floodwater.

One of the survivors, identifying himself as Lin, said, "Don't worry about me, mum. The rescuers are here. I'm safe now. I miss you mum. I miss you mum and dad. In a few days I'll be out."

-Reporting by Bangkok bureau; Writing by David Stanway; Editing by Martin Petty/Reuters