Four more villagers freed from flooded cave in Laos | CNN

Five people have now been brought to safety after being trapped for more than a week. Two remain unaccounted for. • Four villagers freed: Four more men were freed from a flooded cave in Laos after becoming trapped ten days ago when torrential rain blocked their exit. The villagers, who had been searching for gold, managed to walk and crawl out on their own before being met by divers preparing to mount a rescue operation. • Rescue effort: Days of pumping water above ground managed to significantly lower water levels in the cave amid concerns of further rainfall, which could have forced rescuers to call off the operation. Today’s rescue came one day after the first villager was guided safely out on Friday. • Next steps: Rescuers were weighing up whether to resume searching for two villagers who remain unaccounted for. The cave, a limestone structure, is located in the middle of the foothills of a mining project near the village of Long Tieng, hours away from the nearest cities and on muddy roads that have been lashed by the rainy season. Our live coverage has ended for today. Read up on the Laos cave rescue here. After a long and complex operation inside a flooded cave in a r