Thailand begins third mission to rescue all left in flooded cave hinh anh 1Rescuers 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 Luang cave in northern Thailand’s Chieng Rai province to begin the third phase of the rescue of the trapped youth soccer team, aiming to bring out the last four boys and their coach, rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn said.

At a press conference held on the day, Narongsak Osottanakorn said that the rescue operation began just after 10a.m, involving 19 divers.

A medic and three Thai Navy SEALs members who have stayed with the boys on a small, dry shelf deep in the flooded cave will also come out, he added.

The same morning, Jesada Chokdumrongsuk, deputy director-general of the Public Health Ministry, said at a press conference that the eight boys rescued are now at 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 fears of infectious diseases and the boys were initially only allowed to eat a rice-based porridge. They are advised to wear sunglasses after staying in the cave in more than two weeks. It could be at least seven days before they can be released from hospital, Jesada noted.

The boys – members of the Wild Boars football team aged between 11 and 16 – had been exploring the cave network with their coach on June 23, when heavy seasonal rains flooded the cave’s entrance, forcing the group further and further 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 flooded cave complex. -VNA
VNA