12 boys, coach trapped in Thai cave could be alive

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Rescuers searching for the 12 children and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand had to suspend their operation on Monday as rising waters prevented divers from moving deeper into the cave complex, but officials said they believe they are still alive.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of rescuers were mobilized to save the boys, aged 11-15, and their 25-year-old coach, who have been trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province since Saturday amid heavy rains and dwindling food supplies.

The group is believed to have retreated into the cave after football training as a heavy monsoon rain fell and flooded the entrance of the cave in a national park near the border with Myanmar.

Divers found bicycles, shoes and footprints in the cave before suspending their operations on Monday.

"We are surveying the areas around the mountain and will try to find another exit or entrance," Chaing Rai provincial governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said, adding that hundreds of officials have been sent to help with the rescue.

Rescuers are seen outside the Tham Luang Nang Non caves where 13 members of an Under-16 football team were trapped in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, June 25, 2018. /Reuters Photo

But one expert who has studied the cave for the past six years told officials there was only a single entrance, which is now blocked by water.

A mother of one of the boys raised the alarm on Saturday when her son failed to return home, setting off the search.

"I hope that they are safe. I still have hope. I hope that all 13 of them will be out," said Namhom Boonpiam, mother of Mongkol Boonpiam (13) who is missing.

The rising water frustrated efforts by the rescuers, including navy SEAL divers, to search farther in the cave, which is thought to be about 6-8 kilometers long and contain some large chambers.

By Monday evening, officials made the call to temporarily pull out.

Buddhist monks pray outside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave, where 13 members of an Under-16 football team are trapped, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, June 25, 2018. /Reuters Photo

The Tham Luang cave is not widely popular among tourists because of its remote location, though locals visit to view small Buddha statues inside.

Thailand's monsoon season from May to October routinely causes flooding and landslides.

At least 30 people were killed in major floods in January 2017 in southern Thailand, as overland routes were cut off after heavy downpours.

[Cover Photo: Rescue teams are seen inside the Tham Luang Nang Non caves where 13 members of an Under-16 football team were trapped in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, June 25, 2018. /Reuters Photo]

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Source(s): AP ,AFP