Chiang Rai: Rescuers prepare to bring out the final five

PHOTO: VOA

Following last evening’s successful rescue of a further four members of the Mu Pa football team, bringing the total number safely out at 8, Thai and international divers are preparing to rescue at least another four today.

Mission control spokesperson Narongsak Osotthanakorn described the rescue operation, so far, as a success. Last night the first of the four emerged from the mouth of the Tham Luang cave around 5pm. Three others followed over the next three hours. Monday’s extraction of four footballers took two hours less than than Sunday – 9 hours in total, compared to 11 on Sunday.

“Some of them should start emerging from the flooded cave before tonight.”

Thai PBS reports that he says that the high-risk rescue operation today should be wrapped up faster than the previous two days.

The rescued young footballers haven’t been officially identified but were in a “good state of health,” according to Narongsak Osotthanakorn. They have all been brought to the Chiang Rai hospital where they are being observed for possible infections and kept in isolation before they can re-unite with their families.

He said that today’s rescues, if everything goes to plan, will be a repeat of the mission of the past two days. When asked about whether they would try and retrieve all five remaining team members today he didn’t answer.

We are waiting for a media briefing outside the Chiang Rai hospital where all eight evacuees have been recovering.