International rescue teams have ceased the search for the last two men trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos after more than two weeks, as the cave's structure has become unstable and risks collapsing.
On Saturday, 6 Jun 2026 GMT+7, rescue teams announced the suspension of the search for two men trapped inside a partially flooded cave in Laos after over two weeks of efforts, citing the area's increasing instability and risk of collapse, alongside diminishing hopes for survival.
Seven villagers have been trapped since 20 May in a cave in Xaysomboun Province in central Laos after flash floods blocked the cave entrance. A major rescue operation was launched, successfully extracting five people on 29–30 May after pumping water from the cave, but two remain missing.
Lee Kian Lie, a Malaysian cave diver who joined the operation on 28 May, told AFP that the mission had reached its “end point” because the risks of continuing outweighed the slim chances of saving the two men.
“We were very close to the goal,” Lee said. “The water level inside the cave was manageable, but the cave entrance area has become unstable and is at risk of collapse.”
“Continuing the operation carries very high risks. They will keep controlling the water by pumping and drilling at points where water might burst out to speed up drainage. Maybe a miracle could still happen,” Lee added. “Everyone tried their best. We tried, and I want to express my condolences to their families.”
Lee described this as the most dangerous rescue operation he has experienced, citing challenges such as flooding, unstable cave structures, extremely narrow passages, and poor air quality inside the cave.
Last Friday, key cave experts including Mikko Paasi, a Finnish diver who participated in the rescue of the Wild Boars football team trapped in Thailand’s Tham Luang cave, and Yoshitaka Izaji from Japan, left the operation site.
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Source:cna