“In the images, we see the miners coming out of the cave, one after the other, some collapsing with joy and exhaustion… reports Australian public media ABC (Australia Broadcasting Coroporation). Four were rescued on Saturday May 30 in the middle of the afternoon, “thus putting an end to a terrible ten-day ordealâ€. The first had been the day before. Two others are still believed to be trapped.
On May 20, seven men, searching for gold, entered a cave in a mountainous area of Xaysomboun province, in central Laos. “Heavy rain then caused flash floods and landslides which blocked the exits…tell ABC.
Significant aid was mobilized. “Cave divers came from all over the world, recalling the cave drama in Thailand in 2018, during which 12 young footballers and their coach, trapped for three weeks, were saved thanks to an unprecedented operation carried out in the north of Thailand, explain The South China Morning Post.
In Laos, a real race against time has begun. The rescuers “had to fight against time to guide the group through flooded galleries before more rain further complicated their mission†, adds the Hong Kong newspaper. Australian cave diver Josh Richards, who took part in these operations and is seen in the reportABCles a qualifiées d’“scary to deathâ€.
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, based in Thailand, took part in the rescue in Thailand in 2018. He was also in Laos, indicates ABC. He helped bring the first of the survivors to the surface on Friday, after having equipped him with diving equipment and having slipped into a narrow tunnel of 250 meters.
“It wasn’t an easy dive, but it was very short… we were lucky to get him out of there.â€
The Australian Josh Richards was about to enter the cave when the next four suddenly resurfaced. “I was gearing up when four miners covered in mud came out of the cave on their own…explains the diver to ABC.
“They probably noticed that the water level had dropped enough and decided to take the risk. They managed to sneak out.â€
Pumps were transported to the site, “in a desperate attempt to keep the water levels inland at a manageable levelâ€Ã©crit le South China Morning Post. But, the newspaper immediately adds, “the images of divers crawling through incredibly narrow crevasses give an idea of the dangers of this rescue operation and the challenges that remain to find the two miners still missing….
