Update on Thai soccer team trapped in cave
(Baonghean.vn) - It is estimated that more than 1,000 people are present at the cave area to rescue the football team, including experts from 7 other countries such as the UK, the US, and Australia. However, the rescue of the 13 victims is still facing many difficulties and the situation is getting worse.
| The victims sent their thanks to everyone. Video: AP |
Current situation
Thailand's rainy season officially began in July and heavy rains are expected to return this week, posing a major challenge for rescue teams and the boys trapped in the cave. A team of seven Thai Navy SEALs, including doctors, have set up camp at the site where the boys are trapped.
They checked the boys' health and provided them with nutritious and easily digestible food. The rescue team is still considering how to get the boys out.
The rescue team commander said his team did not rule out the possibility of a rescue, but had to check carefully and prepare for every possible situation. “We have to be sure that this method will be successful and have the boys practice diving to ensure 100% safety.”
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| The exits of the cave. Photo: The Nation |
The Thai Navy SEALs have requested assistance with diving equipment for children, as their specialized diving equipment is too large for teenagers aged 11-16.
Food, medical supplies, diving equipment and oxygen tanks are expected to be delivered to the boys and their coach soon.
Thai rescuers have been steadily draining water from the cave at a rate of 10,000 liters per hour, equivalent to the water level in the cave dropping by 1cm per hour. But the return of heavy rains could wipe out this effort.
The rescue team also set up a communication line so the boys could talk to family members.
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| The world is watching the victims in Thailand. Photo: Twitter |
Did they say?
Steven Fabian of Inside Edition reported. “I got down here, there was water dripping everywhere, it was hard to navigate. It was tight quarters, there were big rocks everywhere, it was hard to get through. If I turned off my lights, I couldn’t see anything. I can’t imagine being stuck in a place like this for a week, nine days. I couldn’t get down here for half an hour.”
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“Heavy rain is forecast in the area in the next few days, so the rescue operation must be accelerated. If the water rises, the task will be more difficult. We must get the children out before that time,” Anupong Paojinda, Thailand’s interior minister, told the Bangkok Post.
“Diving is not easy, especially for those who have no experience. Children must be instructed in detail on how to use diving equipment. If an accident occurs, their lives will be in danger.”
But even with instructions on how to use diving equipment, it would take 5-7 days to get the team out of the cave, according to SCMP.
“It is best to leave the children there until the water recedes, provide them with the necessary survival supplies and keep them dry,” said Australian cave expert Peter Wolf.
For now, the Thai Navy is keeping its options open. “We will still provide enough food and water for the team to last four months, teach them how to dive and still use pumps to drain the water,” because the Tham Luang cave complex is often flooded during the rainy season, which lasts until September or October.
Optimal solutions
At the moment, the only way is to teach the boys to dive back into the flooded area. But this is a big challenge because none of the boys can swim well, let alone dive.
A diver needs hundreds of hours of training and for a new diver, just one minute of panic can be fatal. It can even put the support divers in danger.
Drilling an entrance? This requires heavy equipment to be brought in, a sufficient path to follow, and requires a highly detailed map or special radiation from inside the cave.
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| There are three options being implemented: diving to bring the victims out, drilling a new exit, and pumping the water out. |
Find a new entrance to the cave? The rescue team has been searching for a new entrance for 10 days now, and the success rate is getting lower with each passing day.
Waiting for the water to go down? It's the rainy season, and pumping out the water would take a week - even if the weather cooperated. If the rain continued, the search for the group would be hopeless.
The important thing is that the victims in the cave are still safe and the rain and flooding do not continue, the divers can provide them with food and care. With all the necessary elements, the divers can bring them out./.
The moment the Thai soccer team was found miraculously alive in the cave
(Baonghean.vn) - Amidst the overwhelming joy of relatives and those waiting for news, 12 players and 1 coach of a Thai youth soccer team were found alive after 10 days trapped in a flooded cave. Today, the rescue and removal of the victims from the cave is still being carried out...
