Thailand finds shorter route to trapped youth soccer team
Thailand will identify a thin geological area above the cave and open a path straight down to where the soccer team and coach are trapped.
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Thai navy commandos join the rescue operation for the football team trapped in Tham Luang cave, Chiang Rai province. Photo: AFP. |
Thirty teams of rangers today searched the forest above the cave to locate the 12 boys and their 25-year-old trapped coach to find a way out, according toChannel News Asia.
"We want to focus on the area above where they are trapped but it is difficult because they are deep inside," said Major General Bancha Duriyaphan, who is taking part in the rescue operation.
There was no GPS inside the cave and navigation was difficult. "We had to find a thin enough area to drill down to get closer to them. It might not even be a straight line and would zigzag through the rock layers," he added.
If authorities can successfully open this exit, the journey to reach the group will be shortened. This is also a feasible option besides teaching diving to help the group escape or forcing them to stay in the cave until the rainy season ends.
Thai Navy SEALs discovered 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach inside a cave on the night of July 2 after more than nine days missing. The incident occurred while the group was exploring the cave after a training session on June 23.
The trapped group now has to wait more than 10 hours for outside aid. It took the special forces and divers six hours to walk, swim and dive from the cave entrance to where they were trapped due to the complex winding passages and flooded floodwaters.
Rescuers said today that the group could walk out if they can drain the Tham Luang cave before rains arrive this weekend. Hundreds of pumps are being deployed to drain the 4km stretch from the cave entrance to the area where the victims have been holed up for the past 12 days.
