The seven days of the heartbreaking quest of children lost in a cave in Thailand



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Twelve boys from a football team and their 25-year-old coach arrived early in the afternoon at the entrance to Tham Luan Nang Cave in Thailand. They put their bikes on the railing, took their backpacks and went into the place to apparently explore the depths of a mountain in the north of the country – and have not been seen since.




  Group entered a huge network of caves a week ago src =

The group entered a huge network of caves a week ago

The place in Chiang Rai Province is the fourth longest cave in Thailand and very popular with tourists and those who live there for its impressive rock formations of limestone.

Photo: Facebook / Ekatol / BBC News Brazil [19659006] First, they open and form a large, high ceiling, similar to that of a large amphitheater, and then borrow narrow pbadages leading to a network of smaller caves in which locals say that it is not safe to venture, especially during the rainy season, which usually begins in July

Some hours after the entrance of the group, a guard noticed that the bicycles were still there, even after the closing time of the park where Tham Luan Nang is located. [19659006] Then began a scary search for the boys, who are between 11 and 16 years old, and their coach. The great mobilization of efforts moves the world around a chain of support and hopes that the group will be found

Inside the cave flooded

Significant rainfall levels can make that inside the cave cave is flooded up to five meters so it is recommended to explore it only between November and April, as indicated by a local guide from the BBC

It started raining shortly after the entry of the team and its coach, which was one of the main obstacles



  The pumps are used to drain the water from the cave, but the rain makes it hard work

Bombs are used used to drain the water from the cave, but the rain makes it difficult to

Photo: AFP / BBC News Brazil

Soon, rain makes it impossible to pbad through the main entrance of the cave – it is thought that this prevented the group from coming back.

Rescuers try to use industrial pumps water, but the level rises faster than the volume that it is possible to remove.

Intense rain makes rescue difficult

Faced with this problem, it was necessary to find another way to get in. Experts believe that the network of caves has other pbadages in its interior, but finding them in the middle of the forest is quite difficult.

Heavy rains also hinder aerial work in helicopters to find new entrances. It also limits the range of drones used to detect signs of heat in the rock that could indicate where the missing ones are.

An underwater robot was also used to send information about the water level in the cave and the local conditions.



  The military was also called to participate in the efforts in Thailand

Military personnel were also called to help in the efforts in Thailand

Meanwhile, divers from the Thai Navy were rushed to search for the group in the flooded cave system.

Photo: Getty Images / BBC News Brazil

Four British divers and the US Army also attend

But divers have to cross very narrow places and can not go very far because they may miss # 39; air. The almost complete darkness within the network of caves and the accumulation of debris and mud also alter their visibility, which is only a few inches ahead.

The sensation of navigating the flooded pbadages was described by them as:

Footprints of Hope

On Tuesday, recent footprints were observed inside the cave complex , which gave hope that the missing would be safe

Messages sent by the boys before they started exploring They reported that they had brought flashlights and food but that they were reluctant to spend more than a few hours indoors.

Cave experts told the BBC that as long as they were in a place above the water level flooded the cave, there is a chance of survival.



  An alternative plan was to try to drill a pbadage in the cave

An alternative plan was to try to drill a pbadage in the cavern

The biggest risks are hypothermia and lack of oxygen. It is believed that the temperature inside the cave is 20 ° C to 25 ° C, which is relatively warm. This should not be a problem if your clothes are not wet.

The porous nature of limestone also promotes the presence of oxygen within, but it is known that caverns in the area may contain pockets of poor air.

"What was flooding was a narrow pbadage of about 2 kilometers that leads into the cave.If the boys are on the other side of it, they may be in a higher room that may still be dry, "said Joshua Morris, who organizes tours of mountains and caves in Thailand and has put two of his teams to help save.

There is always a need to control fear and the psychological side. "Being trapped in a cave like this is probably one of the most terrifying things that a person can go through," Morris said

Social Media Support

The case mobilized the country. Thais have formed a chain of hope through social networks. A hashtag that can be translated as "the strangers we want to know more" is used to convey concerns to the group.

On the rescue site, after the first few days, there were no more volunteers and no more teams.

Other hashtags that translate into phrases such as "13 lives must survive" and "bring back Moo Pa players" are also used. until then managed to find another entrance to the cave, the authorities have developed a plan: drill the stone to create an alternative pbadage for the interior of the mountain.

But the difficulty of finding a suitable place to place heavy machinery in the middle of the woods on the muddy slope of the mountain, and at the same time make sure that the surrounding rocks would not collapse made this impractical idea. The camp mounted at the entrance of the cave became the base of rescue teams "src =" https://p2.trrsf.com/image/fget/cf/460/0/images.terra.com/ 2018/06/30 "The camp mounted at the entrance of the cave became the basis of rescue teams" width = "460 “/>

The camp mounted at the entrance to the cave became the base rescue teams

On Friday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o visited the rescue base in the parking lot at the entrance of the cave, where there are 840 soldiers, 90 special forces members, four helicopters, excavators and equipment for disaster situations. Relatives of the missing also camp outside the cave.

The same day, a small opening is identified in the mountains above the cave. British experts came in and managed to reach a depth of 20 meters. The officers also used it to reach a large room that is still dry and should lead to other parts of the cave complex.

& # 39; Survival Boxes & # 39;

This is a more promising solution as long as the rain does not stop. The excessive rains even stopped pumping water on Thursday.



  In the air, in a helicopter, rescuers seek pbadages in the mountains “/>

In the air, in a helicopter, rescue teams seek pbadages in the mountains

The amount of rain falling at that time is "unusual" even for this time of year, said Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn at CNN. Dozens of "survival boxes" containing food, cards and cell phones were sent to the cave, according to the report.

The plan is for them to be sent to their interior through pbadages that are in the rocks and, if they do not directly reach the boys and their technician, to float by the rivers formed there and reach the place where they are. ] They also carry a message: "If it is received, please send an answer and show it on the map where they are."

It is also planned to send cameras in the deep areas of the cave and, even make contact with the missing.

At a press conference Saturday, Narongsak Osotthanakorn said the country had lessons to be learned from this type of operation, so far unheard of. Meanwhile, the teams were training people to retreat on stretchers to be ready if the group was found.

  BBC News Brazil
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