Navy SEALs may be forced to act today to evacuate the 12 boys trapped in a cave in northern Thailand, the state's governor has said, amid a race to free the children before an impending storm hits.
Authorities fear that fresh rains, forecast for Friday or Saturday, could make the already difficult task of ferrying the boys out of the flooded cave network all but impossible.
Efforts to pump water out of the Tham Luang Nang Non caves are proving successful, with 128 million litres of water removed - the equivalent of a drop in water levels of more than 40cm (15in) since Wednesday.
Nonetheless, a firefighter who has been working on draining the water said at least part of a passage leading to the chamber where the boys and their coach were found on Monday was still flooded all the way to the ceiling, making diving the only way out.
The provincial governor of Chiang Rai, Narongsak Osatanakorn, told reporters he had asked the Thai navy SEALs in charge of the extraction operation what the risks would be if the evacuation went ahead later on Thursday, and "what kind of readiness we can have today [if we] decide we can take that chance".
"What we worry most [about] is the weather," Mr Narongsak told reporters. "We can't risk having the flood back into the cave.
"This morning, I have asked for 13 sets of (diving) equipment to be prepared and checked the equipment lists and place them inside (the cave) in case we have to bring them out in this condition with less than 100 per cent readiness," he said.
The boys, some of whom are reportedly unable to swim, have been given a crash course in wearing diving masks and breathing with scuba kits. Mr Narongsak said earlier that he did not believe they had yet attempted any practice dives, however.
The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring the cave after a game of football on 23 June.
The coach has been praised after reports emerged that he refused to eat any of the meagre provisions brought along by the group, leaving him the weakest physically by the time they were discovered on Monday after around nine days lost. Nonetheless, police have not ruled out charges of negligence for taking the boys into the cave during monsoon season, when it is notoriously dangerous.
Authorities said the boys, who appeared skinny but in good health in several videos released by the Thai navy, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.
In all of the videos, the boys appeared in good spirits. In the most recent video, a navy SEAL is shown treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.
Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down. That could take months, however, given that Thailand's rainy season typically lasts through October.
For now, the preferred plan is to assist the boys in diving out of the caves the same way their rescuers came in. The British Cave Rescue Council, which is assisting the effort, has said techniques can be used to ferry the boys out that require minimal effort on their part - but with almost zero visibility in the muddy water there are many risks involved.
The total journey from the cave's entrance to the trapped group is currently taking trained divers a total of 11 hours - six hours in and five hours back out, according to BBC News.
"We are talking kilometers of transport under the water with zero visibility," said Claus Rasmusen, a certified cave diving instructor based in Thailand who has been helping Thai SEAL team with logistics. "It's difficult."
He said it would not be impossible to teach the boys the minimal skills required, however. "Nobody will teach anyone a full cave course, but trying to get them comfortable with masks, with the breathing, (is) completely different," he said. "Creating an environment that can make them safely get away, that's feasible."
Additional reporting by AP
