Australia sends more professionals to join rescue of Thai soccer team
Two more specialists of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with expertise in disaster recovery and planning are on their way to Thailand to aid local rescue mission of a cave-trapped football team.
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) with expertise in disaster recovery and planning are on their way to Thailand to aid local rescue mission of a cave-trapped football team.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop released the information on July 5, revealing that a senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer will also be deployed to assist planning and coordination efforts.
These experts will join six AFP diving experts who have been assisting the massive rescue operation since June 30 in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.
The football 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, on June 23, when heavy seasonal rains flooded the entrance, forcing the group further and further into the labyrinth of tunnels in search of higher ground.
On July 2, rescuers found them at higher ground about 400m away from the first predicted 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 to get out of the cave, the boys will have to cross some sections submerged under 5m of water.
According to a statement from the forces, one option is to provide food and diving training to all the 13 people so that they can move out. The process may take up to four months.
The boys are being taught how to dive by rescuers as part of preparations to get out.
Located in the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, Tham Luang cave is often closed during the rainy season from July to December. Visitors are allowed to enter to a maximum depth of 700m into the cave.-VNA
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