First Gold Miner Rescued After Nine Days Trapped in Flooded Cave System in Xaisomboun Laos

Rescue teams in Laos have successfully evacuated the first of seven artisanal gold miners who were trapped for over nine days inside a flooded cave system in Xaisomboun Province.The group became isolated while searching for gold deposits when monsoon rains triggered flash floods that blocked their primary exit.Divers from a Thai volunteer team led the extraction, navigating narrow, jagged underwater passages to reach the miners who had been trapped since late May.Five of the seven men were located alive in a muddy shaft while two individuals remain missing as international teams arrive to assist in the operation.