Rescuers seek way to approach the position where the trapped football team shelter (Source: CNN) Bangkok (VNA) – The rescue of 12 teenager football players and theircoach who were found alive after being trapped in a cave in Thailand for 10days is coming up against difficulties due to weather conditions and theirhealth.
Heavy rains which are forecast topour into Thailand’s Chiang Rai province on July 4 and last in the nextthree-four weeks might raise the water level in Tham Luang cave and pose morechallenges to the rescue team.
Thai officials said that on July3 night, rescuers brought the boys and their coach to a safer place in thecave. They have been provided with sufficient food and medicine.
At present, there are threemethods to bring them out: training them in diving skills, drilling through thecave roof, and draining water out of the cave. However, all of them are facinga lot of challenges.
According to the chief of the ThaiNavy SEAL, bringing the team out of the cave in a short time is infeasible astheir health is exhausted, so they cannot swim four kilometres constantly inthe cave where the terrain is tough and it takes professional divers six hoursto reach.
In addition, Thailand is in therainy season which lasts until November. Rains are lifting up the water levelin the cave, so much time is needed for the drainage.
Experts estimate that theposition of the football team is about 800-1,000m underground. Therefore, it isalso difficult to drill through the cave roof.
However, authorities affirmedthat they will try their best to bring the team out as safe as possible.
Currently, seven soldiers of theThai Navy SEAL, including doctors, volunteer to stay in the cave to ensure thebest health for the stranded team.
The boys, who are between 11 and16 and are members of the Wild Boars soccer team, had been exploring the cavenetwork with their soccer coach on June 23, when heavy seasonal rains floodedthe cave's entrance, forcing the group further and further into the labyrinthof tunnels in search of high ground.
Located in the Khun Nam Nang NonForest Park, Tham Luang cave is an adventure tourism destination in Thailand.It is often closed during the rainy season from July to December. Visitors areallowed to enter maximum 700m deep into the cave.-VNA
VNA
