Cave divers race to free 7 trapped underground in Laos as conditions worsen. What to know | CNN

A dangerous operation to rescue seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave for a week continues to unfold in a mountainous region of Laos, where experts are trying to beat bad weather and deteriorating conditions that are putting multiple lives at risk. Specialist cave divers, who’ve been squeezing through narrow, muddy tunnels at the site in the central Laotian province of Xaisomboun, say they’re getting closer to the villagers, who are believed to be inside an underground cavern. Rescuers told CNN that more than 100 people had joined the risky operation – including 15 experienced divers and experts who helped in the dramatic 2018 cave rescue of a young soccer team in Thailand. The villagers went into the cave last Wednesday in search of gold, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding which blocked the exit, the Associated Press reported, citing Laos and Thai rescue teams. The villagers are believed to be trapped on “an elevated ledge inside the cave that benefits from continuous airflow,” state-run Lao News Agency reported Tuesday. Thai diver Kengkad Bongkawong told CNN that rescuers are working with a map that they believe is highly accurate, and that the villagers are in