Rescue workers in Laos have successfully evacuated four villagers who had been trapped in a flooded cave for 10 days. The rescue operation comes a day after another villager was safely extracted. However, two individuals remain missing.

Both Lao and Thai rescue teams shared the news on social media, accompanied by images showing the rescued men on stretchers, equipped with oxygen masks, and wrapped in foil blankets. Flash floods had ensnared the villagers inside the cave as they searched for minerals. Fortunately, one villager managed to escape and alerted authorities to aid the remaining seven.

The organization known as Rescue Volunteer for People reported on its Facebook page that the water inside the cave had receded enough to enable a safe evacuation with divers who had been delivering provisions. They continue to search for the two missing individuals.

A video by Thai rescuer, Chakkit Taengtang, captured the emotional moment as the men emerged from the cave, visibly affected and covered in mud. After making it out, some collapsed, overwhelmed with emotion as rescue teams celebrated their survival.

The first villager from the trapped group was evacuated on Friday, with the operation lasting approximately 30 minutes. Footage shows the intense process of navigating through the cave’s flooded passages before reaching safety.

Five of the survivors, identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing, and Laen, were located alive last Wednesday. Rescue efforts were supplemented by teams from Japan and Malaysia. Additional specialists from Indonesia, France, and Australia also joined, bringing their experience from a 2018 cave rescue in Thailand.

Rescuers remain dedicated to finding the two missing villagers. Kengkaj Bongkawong, head of the Thai rescue group Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, announced plans to explore deeper sections of the cave, further than where the survivors were discovered. However, this area remains heavily flooded, posing a challenge to their efforts.