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In a dramatic turn of events, five gold miners who became trapped in a cave in Laos last week have been located, but remain underground, facing a daunting and potentially perilous rescue operation that could span several days.
On Wednesday, specialist divers discovered the miners alive, nestled together in a narrow passage approximately 980 feet from the cave’s entrance. Despite this promising development, extracting them has proven challenging due to the cave’s flooding, the risk of collapses, and other lurking subterranean dangers.
The fate of two additional miners who entered the cave alongside the five remains uncertain, adding an element of urgency to the rescue efforts.
The group became stranded on May 20 in a cave situated in the central Xaysomboun province, northeast of the capital city, Vientiane. Their search for gold turned dire when torrential rains triggered flash floods, effectively sealing their escape route and leaving them isolated underground.
They were searching for gold but got trapped after heavy rain triggered flash flooding, blocking their exit.Â
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, who found the men alongside his Thai diving partner Norrased Palasing, said on Wednesday that rescuers were ‘racing against time’ inside the cave, which he called an ‘abandoned gold mine’.
He said: ‘The five survivors are still in the terminal chamber, all healthy and in good spirits, but the extraction is still ahead and it ain’t going to be easy.’
Paasi added: ‘We need to dive straight back and bring the miners more supplies to gain strength and get ready for the way out.’
Rescuers spoke to the men who were trapped and found in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Specialist divers found the five men alive and huddled in a narrow passage around 980 feet from the exit of the cave on Wednesday
The men have yet to be pulled out due to flooding, collapse risks and other hazards underground
With more rainfall expected, Thai rescuer Kengkad Bongkawong said Thursday that teams were racing to remove water from the cave.
‘If we are able to pump out a lot of water tonight, we will begin the extraction tonight,’ he wrote on social media.
‘But if it is deemed too risky after an assessment, we will reconsider.’
Even getting to the site will be a challenge, Paasi said: ‘The environment is extremely remote and hostile that starts with [a] 4km jungle track to the site.Â
‘When inside the mine you have to navigate hundreds of metres of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards and high risk of contaminated air quality.’
So far, rescuers have cut an access road, installed air flow and water pumps and even a WiFi connection to the first chamber of the cave complex. Â
Foreign rescuers – including two divers involved in the dramatic 2018 retrieval of a youth football team from a flooded cave in Thailand – joined Laotian volunteers this week after local groups requested specialist personnel and equipment to aid efforts.
Kengkad said a Malaysian cave diver was one of the latest foreigners to join the rescue operation.
Additional divers from Japan, France, Indonesia and Thailand were expected to arrive on Friday ‘to prevent emergencies, including the risk from additional rainwater expected to flow in tomorrow’.
On Thursday morning, rain sent more soil and water into the cave
Local villagers, rescue groups and logistics workers were also supporting the operation
The cave system, located in a remote mountainous area, extends deep underground, with multiple levels and tight tunnels.
On Thursday morning, rain sent more soil and water into the cave, according to a Laotian logistics staffer for a firm supplying vehicles to support the rescue operation.
‘If there isn’t too much more rain, they may be able to bring them out today. But if heavier rain comes, it could take a few more days,’ said the man, who requested anonymity due to fears of reprisal from his employer.
Local villagers, rescue groups and logistics workers were also supporting the operation, with more than 20 people standing by at the cave entrance, he said.
‘Morale improved yesterday. People are happy and hopeful today after the five people were found.’