First of five men rescued from flooded cave in Laos

After nine days trapped in a flooded cave in Laos, the first of five stranded men was successfully rescued. Rescuers brought the exhausted man to the surface. Four others are waiting their turn.

In Laos, the first phase of a rescue operation in a flooded cave has been completed: one of five men who spent nine days there was successfully brought to the surface by rescue services.

The man appeared exhausted, but rescuers accompanied him to a safe location. According to available information, he spent more than a week in the cave, where water was rising, cutting off the group from the exit.

The operation to rescue the remaining four people continues. Laotian authorities have not disclosed details about the condition of the victims and the progress of the operation, but the successful extraction of the first survivor brings hope for a successful outcome for the others.

The story is reminiscent of the high-profile 2018 rescue operation in Thailand, when international efforts made it possible to free a football team from the Tham Luang cave. The Laotian operation has attracted the attention of world media and caused a wide public response.