Laos rescue divers safely evacuate five villagers trapped in cave

Rescue divers in Laos have safely evacuated five local villagers who had been trapped in a cave for more than a week by floodwaters.

The five had been found by divers on Wednesday, but that left rescue workers with two serious tasks: extricating the five and finding two more who are still missing.

Rescue workers help the first villager move through the cave.

"Quickly quickly', the rescue workers shout, "Are you okay.... His hands are hurt. Sit down first."

Lao and Thai rescue workers posted the news on social media along with a video showing the first rescued villager with a lamp strapped to his forehead.

The villager was walking unsteadily with the assistance of two men. They handed him over to other team members and a waiting crowd for a medical check.

Head of Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, Kengkaj Bongkawong said ahead of the rescue, "The next mission that we will carry out is to find a way to extract them, to get them out. However, the survivors are exhausted, and to extract them will require a professional method. Safety is important.

He added, "To dive in a cave, there are issues with the temperature narrow areas, control of movement, and managing the panic of the victim, which will be difficult, but we have to do it."

The five had been found by divers on Wednesday but extracting them was a serious task and they also needed to find two more who are still missing.

Rescue teams had pumped water out of the flooded cave's passages Friday, but a morning rain storm complicated their work.

The trapped men had been supplied with water, soft food and foil blankets to keep them warm.

The villagers had reportedly entered the cave last week to look for valuable minerals before being trapped by a flash flood that blocked their way out.

Rescue workers for Laos and Thailand were joined by Japanese and Malaysian colleagues to help those still trapped.

French specialists are also coming to the site, a rugged area,120 km north of the capital, Vientiane.