Cave rescuers in Laos continue investigating signs of life

Rescue teams in Laos say they are investigating a possible "crash response" inside a network of flooded caves, where two men are believed to still be trapped.

The fact may indicate possible signs of life, but rescuers emphasize that they need to investigate further before saying with certainty whether the knocks are from the trapped men.

The responding sounds were picked up as rescuers rappelled down a newly discovered vertical shaft, which may provide a safer entrance to the flooded cave and lead to a chamber where the men may be.

"We cannot yet confirm whether the banging sounds came from trapped victims. However, we can confirm that there were banging sounds in response to the signals," Thai cave diver Kengkard Bongkawong told CNN by phone on Monday.

Rescuers heard knocking on the door on at least two occasions in the last 24 hours.

Thai rescue technician Manat Artmongkron posted on Facebook that the sound was heard 70 meters deep in the well.

"The sound was heard just 5 meters away, which is good news. We will update soon," he wrote afterwards.

Exiting the cave
On Saturday (30), four of the five men found alive left the cave alone. The first of them was rescued on Friday (29).

They managed to navigate the underground tunnels alone, surprising rescue divers who were preparing to enter the cave and try to extricate them, according to Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao People's Volunteer Association.

The men were able to walk and crawl out on their own because the water level inside the cave had dropped considerably, Luanglath said.

The seven people entered the cave in Xaisomboun province in central Laos in search of gold on May 20.

They were trapped by a landslide caused by heavy rain, according to a local rescue group and state news agency Lao Phattana News.

4 more men are rescued from cave in Laos; 2 remain missing | NOW CNN

Source: CNN