Diver in Laos miner rescue effort: "We have high hopes that they are still alive"
Summary
Seven artisanal gold miners have been trapped for a week in a small, hand-dug mine in remote Laos after heavy monsoon rains caused a collapse. Divers and rescue teams, including Mikko Paasi who helped with a similar cave rescue in Thailand, are working slowly and carefully to find and save the miners despite dangerous and tight underground conditions.Key Facts
- Seven miners are trapped about 200 yards inside a small, hand-dug gold mine in central Laos.
- Early monsoon rains caused a collapse, blocking the miners inside the tunnel.
- Mikko Paasi, a Finnish diver who helped rescue a soccer team in Thailand in 2018, is assisting the Laos rescue.
- The mine tunnels are very narrow, about the width of a car tire, making it hard for divers to move and turn around underwater.
- Rescuers face risks like low oxygen, poor visibility, cave collapses, and cold temperatures.
- Locals built a 2.5-mile road and set up electricity, wifi, and pumps to support the rescue efforts.
- Miners likely brought food and water and may survive several days underground, but dangers remain high.
- If miners are unconscious or incapacitated, rescuers worry they may not be able to safely bring them out.
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