Thai rescuers join effort to free
- Seven villagers are trapped in a flooded cave in Xaysomboun, Laos, after rain and landslides sealed the exit.
- They entered on May 19 to search for gold; one person escaped and raised the alarm.
- Thai cave-rescue specialists joined local crews with pumps, ropes and divers as floodwater filled narrow passages.
- Some tunnels are only about 60 centimeters high, slowing teams crawling through muddy water.