- Five people have been found alive in a flooded gold mine in Laos, over a week after they became trapped by torrential rains.
- Seven people initially entered the remote mine in Xaysomboun province, with two still missing following the discovery of the five survivors.
- Rescuers, including Finnish cave diver Mikko Paasi, described the moment of finding the villagers over 300 metres inside the cave as "emotional" and "overwhelming", adding: “They were very happy, there were tears, big smiles from both sides”.
- The ongoing rescue operation faces significant challenges, including extremely narrow, muddy, and partially flooded passages, a 27-metre submerged section, and toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
- Specialist cave divers from multiple countries are involved, with the team needing oxygen tanks and potentially modified stretchers to extract the villagers from the dangerous conditions.
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