Thailand's interior minister says the threat of heavy rains has forced authorities to speed up their efforts to rescue 12 teenage football (soccer) players and their adult coach who were found alive in a flooded cave in Thailand nine days after they went missing.
The boys - ages 11 to 16 - and their coach were found Monday huddled on a ledge deep inside the Tham Luang caves. They were generally in stable condition and were provided high-protein liquid food, painkillers and antibiotics, according to Chiang Rai provincial Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn.
Rescue teams are now evaluating how best to get the boys and coach out of the caves.
Possibilities include attempting to pump water out of the caves, divert nearby ground water or find an alternate opening that can give them access to the team. Divers could also bring in food and other supplies to sustain the group until the water recedes enough for them to leave, or the team could be taught diving skills themselves to make the dangerous passage to safety.
"Diving is not easy. For people who have never done it, it will be difficult, unlike diving in a swimming pool, because the cave's features have small channels," Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said.
Hugs and cheers outside
Despite the peril ahead, families and friends, some of whom have maintained a constant vigil outside the cave, hugged each other and cheered at the news.
In a five-minute video shot by rescuers and released to the media, the boys, still wearing their soccer uniforms, are shown sitting or standing on dry ground near an expanse of water. The light from the rescuers seems to hurt the boys' eyes.
One of the divers asks, "How many of you are there - 13? Brilliant." The rescue team member then tells them, "You have been here 10 days. You are very strong."
One of the boys replies that he is hungry, while another boy says to the rescuers, "Thank you so much."
The team had been missing since June 23, when they did not return to their homes from practice.
The only trace of them had been bicycles and soccer cleats found outside the entrance of the complex, and handprints along the cave walls. Heavy flooding brought on by days of heavy rains have hampered the divers' efforts to reach the team.
International experts from the United States, Australia, China and Britain have assisted in the search-and-rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha thanked the international experts and rescuers.
"The Royal Thai Government and the Thai people are grateful for this support and cooperation, and we all wish the team a safe and speedy recovery,'' Prayuth's office said in a statement.
The Tham Luang complex is prone to severe flooding during Thailand's rainy season, which lasts from June to October.
