Rescuers head back to flooded Tham Luang cave to bring out the last four boys and their coach. (Photo: EPA/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Rescuers on July 10 headed back to flooded Tham Luangcave in northern Thailand’s Chieng Rai province to begin the third phase of therescue of the trapped youth soccer team, aiming to bring out the last four boysand their coach, rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn said.
At a press conference held on the day, Narongsak Osottanakorn said that therescue operation began just after 10a.m, involving 19 divers.
A medic and three Thai Navy SEALs members who have stayed with the boys on asmall, dry shelf deep in the flooded cave will also come out, he added.
The same morning, Jesada Chokdumrongsuk, deputy director-general of the PublicHealth Ministry, said at a press conference that the eight boys rescued are nowat a hospital, and they are in good condition physically and mentally.
Families of the first four boys were being kept at a distance because of fearsof infectious diseases and the boys were initially only allowed to eat arice-based porridge. They are advised to wear sunglasses after staying in thecave in more than two weeks. It could be at least seven days before they can bereleased from hospital, Jesada noted.
The boys – members of the Wild Boars football team aged between 11 and 16 – hadbeen exploring the cave network with their coach on June 23, when heavyseasonal rains flooded the cave’s entrance, forcing the group further andfurther into the labyrinth of tunnels in search of higher ground.
They were found alive on July 2 after 10 days of being trapped in the floodedcave complex. -VNA
VNA
