Thailand in dramatic rescue effort at flooded cave
The desperate search for 12 children and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand pressed into its fourth night on Tuesday as distraught relatives prayed and awaited news about the missing youngsters.
The dramatic rescue operation has captivated the country as scores of navy divers, soldiers and police descended on the cave where the young football team dubbed the “Boars” and their coach have been stuck since Saturday.
The boys, aged from 11 to 16, went into the cave after practice and were trapped after heavy rains flooded the chambers and blocked the entrance. The group is believed to have retreated to the back of the cave as heavy rains continued to fall, slowly raising water levels inside the complex network in northern Chiang Rai province that spans several kilometres.
After days of desperately searching, officials said on Tuesday they found a previously undiscovered opening into which they would attempt to drop helicopter rescuers.
“If we find them, the first thing is to provide first aid and food before thinking of how to bring them back up,” interior minister General Anupong Paochinda told reporters. “We will not stop, we will work 24 hours. We’re racing against time, and we want them to be safe.”
Helicopters hovered overhead as large crowds gathered around the cave’s muddy entrance, including wailing parents who prayed for the team’s safe return. “I asked for all God’s wishes, but I’m certain in my heart that they will survive. They have been inside the cave before,” the father of one of the young footballers said.
One relative fainted while others waited under a makeshift tent near a shrine with dolls, spiritual offerings and messages for the young boys.
“Please return to your family, please let no harm be done to you,” one mother prayed.
The Tham Luang cave near the Laos and Myanmar border is popular among locals who visit in the dry season to worship the Buddha statues inside.
A sign outside the remote site warns visitors not to enter during the rainy season from July to November when flood risk runs high. Bicycles, backpacks and football boots were found near the entrance of the cave.
Continued rainfall has hampered rescue efforts but a new 8km long dam was being built on Tuesday to try and prevent more flooding of the site.
Electric cables were also laid to provide lighting inside the tunnel and an underwater robot was dispatched to survey the area. The team has previously visited the cave, officials said.
In 2007 six foreign tourists and two local guides were killed as flash floods swept through a cave in Thailand’s southern Khao Sok national park.
IF WE FIND THEM, THE FIRST THING IS TO PROVIDE FIRST AID AND FOOD BEFORE THINKING OF HOW TO BRING THEM UP. WE ARE RACING AGAINST TIME