Thai rescue teams find 13 missing in cave alive

CHIANG RAI, July 2 

Twelve boys and their assistant soccer coach have been found alive by rescuers inside a Thai cave complex nine days after they went missing, Chiang Rai province’s governor said on Monday. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, went missing with the 25-year-old after soccer practice on June 23 after they set out to explore the Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai.

A massive international rescue effort has been under way since, with rescue teams battling through thick mud and high water to try to reach the group.

“Thai Navy seals have found all 13 with signs of life,” Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters.

Rescuers had been working on Monday to clear a constricted passageway for divers deep inside the flooded cave complex in a search operation that has been hampered by heavy rain.

It remains unclear whether any of the group are injured or in need of medical attention. — Reuters