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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 26 June 2018

Thai officials believe 12 boys missing in cave are alive

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA where the cave is located,
Associated Press said Monday morning that
MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — attempts to reach a large
Anguished parents of 12 chamber about 4 kilome-
members of a boys’ soccer ters (2.5 miles) from the
team missing in a flooded entrance of the cave had
cave in northern Thailand failed as the passage is
were spending a third night extremely small, “flooded
without their children Mon- and covered with sand
day as water continued to and mud.”
rise in the sprawling cav- According to Kamolchai,
erns, forcing rescuers led by tourists trapped in the cave
elite navy divers to suspend by past floods have been
their search. rescued after the water re-
Officials said pouring rain ceded a few days later.
caused parts of the cave In “The Caves of North-
to flood with at least 5 me- ern Thailand,” an online
ters (16 feet) of water but guidebook last updated
that they believe the boys this year, the cave is de-
are still alive. scribed as explorable only
The boys, aged 11-15, are from November to June
believed to have entered due to flooding. It says the
the Tham Luang Nang Non cave has an “impressive
cave in Chiang Rai prov- Rescue teams gather in a deep cave where a group of boys went missing in Chang Rai, northern entrance chamber” that is
ince with their 25-year-old Thailand, Monday, June 25, 2018. about 80 meters (260 feet)
coach late Saturday after- Associated Press long and leads to an easy
noon. A mother reported Parents waited overnight in Namhom Boonpiam, kids should still be in good walk along “spacious pas-
that her son did not return tents outside the cave en- whose 13-year-old son condition,” he said, not- sageways” that last for
from soccer practice that trance as rain continued to Mongkol is among the miss- ing that rescuers had seen about a kilometer (half a
day, setting off the search. pour down. Medics sat in a ing, said she had been nothing inside the cave to mile).
The rising water frustrated nearby tent as a few flood- waiting at the entrance indicate otherwise. “At the end of the marked
efforts by the rescuers, in- lights burned in the front since Saturday night. Getting deeper into the path the passage enters a
cluding navy SEALs, to chambers of the cave. Officials remained opti- cave has required lots of series of chambers, boul-
search farther in the cave, Bicycles, backpacks and mistic the boys would be oxygen and special div- der collapses and boulder
which is thought to be soccer cleats left behind found safe. ing skills, which would also chokes where route finding
about 6-8 kilometers (4-5 by the boys remained at Chote Narin, an officer at complicate rescue efforts can be difficult,” it says.
miles) long and contain the entrance of the cave. Mae Sai district police sta- once the boys are found, After a few hundred meters
some large chambers. By Mothers and other rela- tion, said Monday after- Passakorn said. He said div- (yards), the cave narrows
Monday evening, officials tives held a prayer session noon that footprints and ers might have to first bring to a passage 2 meters (6.5
made the call to temporar- Monday evening at the handprints were found in- food in and the boys might feet) wide and 3 meters
ily pull out. entrance, where there is a side the cave complex. He need to wait out the flood (10 feet) high, it says. After
“We went in a few kilo- shrine with a statue of the said the fact that the boys or learn the basics of scuba that area, the cave splits
meters and were able to Buddha. They laid flowers are athletes should help to get out. off into different directions,
enter a second chamber and then some walked in- them endure the situation. The cave, cut into a moun- including several that lead
behind the entrance. In side, where their cries could Despite heavy rain and tainside in far northern Thai- to other chambers, pools of
that chamber, there was be heard echoing off the rising waters, officials are land near the border with water or places with high
an area where I saw shoes walls. hopeful that there are still Myanmar, is a local tourist “avens,” shafts that reach
and bags left behind on “My son, come on out! I safe spaces in the cave attraction but can flood se- the surface.
the ground. We believe the am waiting for you here!” complex, Chiang Rai Dep- verely during the rainy sea- Chote, of the Mae Sai po-
students have gone further one woman cried. Another uty Governor Passakorn Bu- son, which runs from June lice, said a helicopter was
in,” said Lt. Naponwath kneeled down near the bi- nyalak told a news confer- to October. sent Monday afternoon to
Homsai, a SEAL team mem- cycles and prayed, asking ence. Kamolchai Kotcha, an of- survey at least one of those
ber. “Where is my child?” “We’re confident that the ficial at the forest park shafts. q