Rescuers free one of seven men trapped in Laos cave

A rescue team freed on Friday one of seven men trapped inside a semi-submerged cave in Laos for more than a week, the group working at the site said. The seven men had been trapped in the cavern in a remote mountainous area of central Xaysomboun province since May 20, when flash floods stranded them as they searched for gold.

Five of the men were located alive on Wednesday, huddling in a narrow shaft around 300 metres from the cave mouth. Footage filmed by rescue divers showed them muddy and despondent, complaining of chest pains and hunger pangs, while the remaining two of their group remain unaccounted for.