Military personnel carry equipment into the Tham Luang cave for the rescue operation. (Photo: AFP)Sydney (VNA) - Two more specialists of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) withexpertise in disaster recovery and planning are on their way to Thailand to aidlocal rescue mission of a cave-trapped football team.
ForeignAffairs Minister Julie Bishop released the information on July 5, revealingthat a senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer will also be deployed to assistplanning and coordination efforts.
Theseexperts will join six AFP diving experts who have been assisting the massiverescue operation since June 30 in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.
Thefootball team, consisting of 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach,were exploring the Tham Luang cave, a popular adventure tourism destination, onJune 23, when heavy seasonal rains flooded the entrance, forcing the groupfurther and further into the labyrinth of tunnels in search of higher ground.
OnJuly 2, rescuers found them at higher ground about 400m away from the firstpredicted location. The team were exhausted but in stable condition. However,the cave was deeply submerged due to downpour, causing difficulties for rescue activities.
The Thai armed forces said toget out of the cave, the boys will have to cross some sections submerged under5m of water.
According to a statement fromthe forces, one option is to provide food and diving training to all the 13people so that they can move out. The process may take up to four months.
Theboys are being taught how to dive by rescuers as part of preparations to getout.
Locatedin the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, Tham Luang cave is often closed duringthe rainy season from July to December. Visitors are allowed to enter to amaximum depth of 700m into the cave.-VNA
VNA
