Hopes for the rescue of two men trapped for more than two weeks inside a semi‑submerged cave in central Laos have faded, with authorities calling off the search on Saturday after the site became dangerously unstable. The men were among seven villagers who became trapped on May 20 in Xaysomboun province after sudden flash floods sealed the cave entrance. The group had entered the cavern to hunt bats for food and search for gold in abandoned mining areas, according to state media.
Rescuers located five of the men alive a week later. One was brought out by divers on May 29, and four more were guided to safety the following day after teams pumped out large volumes of water from the flooded passages. But despite an intensive, multinational effort, the remaining two men could not be found.
Malaysian cave diver Lee Kian Lie, who joined the mission on May 28, said the operation had reached its limit. The cave entrance had begun collapsing, he explained, making further attempts too dangerous to continue.
“We were so close,” Lee said. “The water in the cave was already manageable, but the cave entrance started to become unstable. To continue the operation is high risk. Everyone tried. We tried. I am sorry for the family.”
Lee described the mission as the most perilous of his career, citing flooding, unstable rock formations, tight spaces and poor air quality.
Thai lead rescuer Kengkad Bongkawong confirmed in a social media post that no one is now allowed inside the cave due to the extreme danger. However, water‑pumping operations will continue from outside in the hope that lowering the water level might create a chance however slim for the men to escape on their own.
“There are still food rations and survival supplies placed at various points inside the cave,” he wrote. “If miracles exist, I believe their expertise will guide them out safely.”
Earlier in the week, Kengkad said rising rainwater had reduced the vertical space inside the cave to just 30 centimetres half the clearance rescuers had during earlier phases of the operation.
As the pumps continue to run, families and rescuers cling to the faint possibility that the trapped men may still find a way to survive.
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