To save teenagers from a partially flooded cave in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand there is only a limited amount of time, the commander of the Thai Army naval unit told reporters on July 6. According to him, 12 young athletes and their coach will not be able to wait until the end of the monsoon season.

Meanwhile, during the rescue operation, a former Thai naval soldier died who, as a volunteer, supplied oxygen to children with oxygen bottles. He lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen on the way up, said the deputy head of the Chiang Rai province.

12 players aged 11 to 16 years and their coach on June 23 took refuge in the cave Khao Luang from the weather and were cut off from the exit due to flooding.

The specialists discovered the group at 300-400 meters from the place where it was supposed to be originally. To search works, an international team of speleologists. Until July 1, monsoon rains continued in the region almost without interruption, which significantly complicated the search, on July 2, specialists partially pumped water from the cave. According to the rescuers, schoolchildren and their trainer are separated from the exit by several kilometers.

Source: DW.