MAE SAI – A treacherous rescue bid to free a youth football team trappedin a flooded Thai cave entered its second day Monday, with nine of the”Wild Boars” still inside after elite divers guided four out.
Looming rain was one of the main enemies of the operation, threatening toflood the cave complex in mountainous northern Thailand, although abewildering array of other dangers could also doom the escape plans.
Thais have been fixated on the crisis, hoping desperately for the safereturn of the boys, aged from 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach, sincethey became trapped in the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23 because ofrising waters.
They spent nine days unaccounted for inside the cave, before British diversfound the emaciated and dishevelled group huddling on a muddy bank abovethe flooding.
On Sunday four members of the “Wild Boar” team were successfully broughtout from the cave, after authorities decided they had to rush ahead with arescue operation to beat monsoon rains.
They were guided by expert divers who plotted the hours-long escape throughmore than four kilometres (2.5 miles) of twisting passageways and floodedchambers.
Rescue chief Narongsak Osottanakorn on Sunday said four of the team –affectionately dubbed by Thai social media Wild Boars 1,2,3,4 — were”safe” and said the extraction effort would likely resume early Monday.
“We’ve been working continuously overnight,” a Chiang Rai government sourcetold AFP on Monday morning, requesting anonymity, and confirming that therehad only been a pause of the actual extraction operations.
However by lunchtime on Monday authorities had given few other othersdetails about the latest developments in the rescue mission.
They had also declined to reveal the identities of the four who had beenhauled out.
But speaking in Bangkok, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said the fourpulled from the cave “are strong and safe” and in the care of doctors.——————————
*Agonising wait*——————————
With so few details released, parents continued their agonising wait to bereunited with their sons.
“I am still waiting here at the cave, keeping my fingers crossed to seewhether my son will be one of those to come out today,” SupalukSompiengjai, mother of Pheeraphat — known by his nickname “Night” — toldAFP.
“We heard four boys are out but we do not know who they are. Many parentsare still here waiting. None of us has been informed of anything.”
But she added she was “happy” at the prospect of seeing her son again.
To get the remaining boys out, divers will be forced by the narrow passagesto accompany them one at a time.
None of the boys have scuba diving experience and experts have warned theycould easily panic while swimming underwater in darkness.
The death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of oxygen in thecave on Friday underscored the danger of the journey even for professionals.
Touching on some of the challenges of the complex extraction, the interiorminister told reporters on Monday the rescue team needed adequate rest inbetween dives and had to replace oxygen tanks along the route.
Rescuers are also in a race against time, with weather forecasters warningheavy rain could hit the area on Monday afternoon and continue through theweek.
Authorities have repeatedly said the rain could re-flood crucial parts ofthe cave complex that have been drained and make the escape route marchharder or even impossible to navigate.
Thai premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha was due to visit the rescue operation onMonday.
In the week since the team was found alive, expert climbers, divers andThai Navy Seals have mulled contingencies ranging from drilling an escaperoute through the mountain to waiting out the monsoon season and spendingmonths inside the cave.
The saga has stirred reaction from across the world of politics, sport andbusiness, with American tech entrepreneur Elon Musk trailing the idea ofdragging the kids free in a purpose-built escape pod to his 22.2million-strong Twitter following. – APP/AFP