The news about several Laos villagers trapped in a cave by rising water is probably worldwide news, and, of course, has captured intense interest here in Laos.  Here’s the latest information I have.

Introduction

According to the Laotian Times, several villagers entered the cave system in the Long Chaeng district, which is about 75 miles north of Vientiane, back on May 19.  Apparently, they were searching for gold and hunting wildlife, activities that remain common in remote parts of Laos but are rarely discussed publicly and are considered to be somewhat illegal.

Because of heavy rainfall, the system became flooded and trapped the villagers inside. The Times article linked above continues

“According to local accounts, the villagers initially avoided posting about the emergency online out of fear of possible backlash from authorities. Only after repeated rescue attempts failed did they seek help through social media, sending a video via Facebook Messenger to a local influencer.

The influencer later shared the footage publicly with a caption asking for urgent help, saying villagers and district officials were trying to pump water out of the cave to rescue the seven people trapped inside.”

The Rescue Attempt

This was a similar situation to the Thailand cave rescue of 12 boys back in 2018. Lao and Thai rescuers found five of the villagers on May 27, and they were finally removed from the cave, alive, on May 30th, but two still remained trapped inside. An international team of rescue experts was requested to help with the situation.

Latest

I haven’t heard or read anything lately about the two people still trapped in the cave. Have they been found or rescued yet? Let’s hope so and hope for a successful and happy outcome to this situation. Upshot: don’t go into Laos caves during rainy season, even if the weather looks OK. It can change in a few moments.

Update from CNN : The other two trapped villagers haven’t been found yet. Apparently, they weren’t part of the group of five who entered, but had gone into the cave system some time before the later group and had taken a different route. They are still being looked for, and an exciting discovery of a new way in has been found. Click here to read more.