Thai cave save
Rescuers pump millions of liters to reach trapped team
With more rain coming, rescuers are racing against time to pump out water from a flooded Thailand cave before they can extract 12 boys and their soccer coach with minimum risk, officials said on Thursday.
A firefighter who has been working on draining the water said that levels in parts of a passage leading to a chamber where the boys and the coach were found on Monday after being missing for 10 days was still flooded all the way to the ceiling, making diving the only way out.
Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn, who heads the rescue command center, said on Thursday that the focus is now on draining water and finding an alternative evacuation route via the hilltop above.
“What we worry about most is the weather,” he told reporters. “We can’t risk having the flood back in the cave.”
The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach have started to familiarize themselves with diving gear, said The Nation newspaper.
Thirteen sets of equipment have been prepared for the team, and water is being pumped out of the deluged cave round-the-clock.
However, rescuers have not decided definitively on the method and time to extract the survivors from their dark and narrow shelter, due to the changeable situation.
Authorities said that by Thursday afternoon, more than 128 million liters of water had been sucked out of the 10-kilometer-long cave in northern Thailand, enough to fill 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Wang Yingjie, leader of a Chinese rescue team in the mission, said on Wednesday that diving the trapped group out faced lots of difficulties.
“Thai Navy SEALs spent a longer time than expected to do a round trip without carrying anyone else,” he said. “It could be much longer and add more dangers if they bring the kids with them.”
SEAL commander Rear Admiral Arpakorn Yukongkaew said the return trip from the cave entrance to the boys and back took 11 hours because a junction remained submerged. Meanwhile, a communications line had yet to be installed the full distance.
The boys went missing with their coach after a soccer practice on June 23, when they set out to explore the Tham Luang cave complex in a forest park near Thailand’s northern border.
Thailand’s local vendors are voluntarily delivering free food to people involved in the rescue operation, according to The Nation newspaper.
Vendor Som Norkham said on Thursday that they have handed out noodles for four consecutive days.
“A lot of the market people would like to come and cook for the officials and volunteers in person, but we don’t want a big crowd getting in the way, so we just have a few representatives doing it.”
Greetings from Chile
Meanwhile, one of 33 Chilean miners rescued in 2010 after spending 69 days underground in a collapsed mine has sent a message of encouragement and hope to the survivors.
“I would like to send greetings and a lot of strength to the authorities and the families of these 12 children,” said Mario Sepulveda, using the handle @SuperMarioChile, in a video message posted on Twitter.
“I have no doubt that if the government of that country puts in everything and makes all the humanly possibly efforts, this rescue will be successful. May God bless you!” AP, AFP and Reuters contributed to the story.