Rescuers race to reach 7 villagers trapped for a week in flooded Laos cave

Divers who helped in the dramatic rescue of a young Thai football team in 2018 have joined efforts to free seven people who have been trapped for five days inside a remote, flooded cave in central Laos.

Thai rescuers arrived at the site on Sunday to provide assistance, according to state-run Lao National Radio.

The seven were part of a group of villagers from the central province of Xaysomboun who had gone into the cave on Wednesday in search of gold and wildlife, but could not get out as rain and landslides blocked the cave's entrance.

Thai teams have joined the mission, as rescuers share photos of the treacherous conditions in the cave tunnel