SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
In Laos, rescue efforts are underway to reach seven men who've been trapped inside a cave for over a week. So far, five members of the group have been located, and rescue workers are moving them back to safety. But two men remain unaccounted for. Jan Camenzind Broomby has more.
(CHEERING)
JAN CAMENZIND BROOMBY, BYLINE: A cry of joy from rescuers as they announce the men have been found, a message relayed from deep within a cave system.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Five alive - we find them.
BROOMBY: For days, teams have been working to rescue seven men trapped. The group are thought to have entered the cave in central Laos last week, looking for gold. Heavy rain and a landslide then blocked their exit.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: OK.
BROOMBY: Video posted on social media shows rescuers squeezing through claustrophobic tunnels as narrow as 20 inches wide, eventually reaching those stuck inside...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: (Non-English language spoken).
BROOMBY: ...An emotional moment for those trapped who thought they may never be found.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: (Non-English language spoken, crying).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: (Non-English language spoken).
BROOMBY: One of those found sends a message to his family - Hi, mom. I'm safe. In a few days, I will go see you. Don't worry about me. I will stay strong, and I'm still healthy.
But celebrations might be short-lived because the challenge now becomes how to get all of them out. Those trapped have to move through the narrow tunnel with parts submerged underwater.
CLAUS RASMUSSEN: The main problem will be to formulate a good, safe plan to make sure everybody walks away from there safely.
BROOMBY: This is Claus Rasmussen, a Thailand-based cave diver. In 2018, he was part of a team that rescued 13 boys stuck in a cave in Thailand. He's on standby in case he's needed for this rescue attempt.
RASMUSSEN: Even though it's a much, much, much shorter distance we're talking about, it is a lot more restrictive. So in that way, much more hazardous to guide or assist people out. You got right now a passage of, like, 30 meters or 100 feet of distance that they need to go through, which is effectively very, very restrictive. It's unlikely that you can get them to remain calm if they never used scuba equipment before.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: (Non-English language spoken).
BROOMBY: Claus says rescuers are therefore focused on pumping water out, hoping to create air pockets that will make rescue attempts easier. But after more than a week, getting those trapped out is a race against time.
For NPR News, I'm Jan Camenzind Broomby in Taipei. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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