Rescuers searching a flooded cave in Laos believe two missing gold miners may be trapped in a previously unidentified sixth chamber, based on information provided by five survivors who have now been rescued. The search is taking place in Xaysomboun province, where seven villagers became trapped underground after entering the cave on 20 May in search of gold.
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Five of the seven miners have been found alive and rescued, while two remain missing. Survivors, who are recovering in hospital, provided what rescuers described as “substantial” information suggesting there may be a sixth chamber beyond a narrow crack in the fifth chamber. According to Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, this is the only part of the cave system that has not yet been searched.
Paasi said: “This was the only place that we haven’t checked in the mine, where the two lost miners could still be.”
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi
He added: “Now there’s a theory that, through that small crack, it still continues and there’s a sixth chamber, which gives us hope now that, if we could penetrate that small restriction, we might be able to reach the sixth chamber and then see what is there.”
The villagers entered the cave on 20 May but became trapped when flash floods and a landslide blocked their exit. Rescue teams have since navigated more than 200 metres of flooded, dark passages and discovered five chambers, with all five survivors located in the fifth chamber.
Heavy rain is continuing to affect the area, raising concerns that water levels could rise again and hinder rescue efforts. Water has already returned to the second chamber, preventing divers from entering until drainage operations can resume.
Japanese diver Yoshitaka Isaji said a key drainage pump had broken, creating additional difficulties for rescue teams. Earlier attempts to remove floodwater had also failed.
Pictures courtesy of The Sun
Despite these challenges, an international rescue effort remains under way, involving specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France, Australia, Finland, Malaysia and Japan alongside local Lao rescue personnel.
Four of the rescued miners are believed to have exited the cave themselves on Saturday after water levels unexpectedly dropped. The first rescued miner was guided through a narrow flooded passage by an expert diver on Friday, a journey that took around 30 minutes. The remaining four emerged less than a day later and were treated by medical teams.
The Sun reported that survivors have been identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing and Laen. During their time underground, they survived in darkness with limited food and relied on a small pocket of airflow.
In footage released from inside the cave, survivor Ee said: “We’re weak and we’re really hungry.”
“Please bring rice and some proper food.”
Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie said survivors are being interviewed in hospital to help direct the continuing search. Rescue teams will use the information gathered to guide efforts to locate the remaining two miners as weather conditions and equipment repairs continue to affect operations.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now The-Sun 1 June 2026