Thailand: Cave rescue operation accelerated for fear of heavy rain
Rescuers on July 6 have accelerated the rescue operation for the 12 stranded young footballers and their coach as heavy downpours are expected to hit in a matter of days, which will cause the water levels inside the cave to rise.
Divers take part in the rescue mission (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Rescuers on July 6 have accelerated the rescueoperation for the 12 stranded young footballersand their coach as heavy downpours areexpected to hit in a matter of days, which will cause the water levels insidethe cave to rise.
Earlier, expertsfrom the Chulalongkorn University said the Tham Luang cave is a part ofa limestone mountain ecosystem and when it is raining on the mountain, thewater will be absorbed into the subterranean aquifer system throughinfiltration and later spring out as streams and rivers. The water lever ishighly likely to rise where the boys are located, as well as the path leadingto them.
Rescuers are racing against time to remove water in the third chamber ofthe cave. There is little time left as new floods could force the team to stay trappedinside the cave for months.
Two streams to the north and south of Doi Nang Non Mountain, Huai NamDan and Haui Makaeng, were successfully diverted away from the cave through thecooperation of local people and related agencies.
According to rescue operation organisers, the water in the cave has beenreduced by 40 percent since the victims were found alive on July 2.
Rescuers are trying to remove water inside the cave’s third chamber sothat the water level is only at waist-height for the boys, enabling them toexit using only life jackets and not requiring them to undergo potentiallyrisky dives to escape.
This appears to be a more viable plan than the previously laid out exitstrategy whereby the boys, with no previous experience, would be taught to divefor several hours in dangerous water currents.
Thai authorities on July 6 also announced that a former Thai navy diverdied during a mission to try free the football team trapped in Tham Luang cave.The 38-year-old man dived in the cave at 8:30pm on the evening of July 5,however lost consciousness due to lack of air. This is the first death of therescue mission that started on June 23, for the stranded football team. -VNA
Rescue forces on July 1 morning moved deeper in Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province, Thailand, where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped for nearly a week.
Rescuers have found the teenage football team who are alive after nine days trapped inside Tham Luang cave, and preparations are being made to take them out, authorities from Thailand’s Chiang Rai province said on July 2.
Governor of Thai Chiang Rai province Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters on July 3 that it will take time to get the cave-trapped boys and their football coach out.
Howard Limbert, a British caver who has spent the last 30 years of his life in central Quang Binh province and studying the caves in Vietnam, and Nguyen Chau A, Director of Oxalis Company, are heading to Thailand’s Chiang Rai province on July 4 to offer their assistance to a group of young boys that have been trapped in a cave for over nine days.
The rescue of 12 teenager football players and their coach who were found alive after being trapped in a cave in Thailand for 10 days is coming up against difficulties due to weather conditions and their health.
Teenage football players who have been trapped in a cave in northern Thailand are being taught how to dive by rescuers as part of preparations to end their harrowing ordeal.
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.
Thai media, reporting on the rescue mission of 12 young footballers and their assistant coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in Chiang Rai, have been urged to be discreet, respect the privacy of people concerned and to present reports constructively.
Ensuring communications with rescuers inside Tham Luang cave pose a challenge in the mission to rescue members of the football team trapped in the flooded cave, along with risks of the upcoming storm, said Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn.
The DES Ministry will seek cooperation from social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and monitor accounts related to such activities, he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the newly established Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC).
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
Malaysia’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) reached 1.01% of gross domestic product in 2022, a notable increase, with more than 51% contributed by the industry sector. The country is targeting GERD to reach 2.5% by 2030, in line with the national goal of transforming into a high-technology nation.
The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
Real estate agency ERA Singapore estimated that there are 2,703 condo developments in Singapore today, of which 836 or 31% are at least 30 years old. In 10 years, this number is expected to climb to 1,160, assuming none is sold en bloc.
Divers take part in the rescue mission (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
