Five Rescued From Flooded Laos Cave; Two Missing as Monsoon Rains Intensify

Seven gold prospectors entered a karst cave in Xaysomboun Province in late May and were trapped by rising water. Five have been extracted via multi-day pumping and diving operations involving international rescue teams. Two remain missing as of June 1. Heavy monsoon rains threaten to re-flood passages rescuers cleared, compressing the window for locating the missing pair. Teams are searching for air shafts from above as an alternative access route.