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MAE SAI, Thailand : Rescuers prepare for a long and difficult evacuation for 13 members of a Thai youth football team found alive in a cave nine days after their disappearance, while the mud and food were delivered to them on Tuesday.
The 12 young boys and their soccer coach were found shriveled and starving on a mud mound surrounded by water Monday night, ending the agonizing search that captivated a nation.
But attention quickly turned to the delicate task of safely evacuating still-flooded caves.
Food and essential medical supplies – including high-calorie gels and paracetamol – arrived on Tuesday as rescuers prepared for a protracted extraction operation.
The Thai Army announced that preparations were underway to help them get out "We will prepare to send extra food for at least four months and train the 13 to dive while continuing to drain the water. 39, water, "said Navy captain Anand Surawan.
He refused to speculate how long they could be trapped, but experts said it could take weeks or even months.
The timeline is key given the unrelenting rains of the monsoon in the area
The Thai Navy SEAL team said that they were using an underground chamber as a "center of operations "to meticulously plan the evacuation with foreign expert divers who have played a role in the rescue offer.
Jubilation erupted across a country that was stuck to every twist of the massive rescue operation.
"We called this mission impossible because it rained every day … but with our determination and equipment we fought nature." Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said Tuesday.
The boys were discovered Monday around 2200 (1500 GMT) by British divers about 400m from where they were stranded several kilometers inside the cave.
A video posted on the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page shows one of the boys asking the rescuers to "go out".
In response, the British diver said, "No, not today … a lot, a lot of people are coming […] we are the first ones."
Rescue " unimaginable "
The difficult task of bringing out boys is complicated by the fact that they are in
The long, rugged course of several kilometers to the entrance takes six hours for a healthy SEAL diver.
If the dive proves impossible, there is an external chance that a hole can be drilled in the cave to evacuate them or they will have to wait for the waters to recede and come out.
Parents led the outpouring of joy at the dramatic discovery of boys perched on the muddy bank.
"I'm so relieved, even though I still do not have the chance to see him … I want to tell him that I'm still here waiting," said Kieng Khamleu, of his son Pornchai Khamleung inside the cave
Another parent said that he could hardly believe the good news.
"It 's unimaginable, I' d been waiting for 10 days, I 'd never imagined that day would come," said the father of one of the boys.
Diving teams prepared telephone lines to settle in the cave to make phone calls to the boys, the governor said.
The "Wild Boar" team was trapped on June 23 after heavy rains blocked the main entrance to the cave.
The rescuers found their bicycles, their football boots and their backpacks near the cave opening, and spotted hand prints and footprints farther away – leading them to the next day. where they ended up finding each other.
The Tham Luang cave is one of the longest and most tortuous in Thailand. It is also one of the most difficult to navigate, especially during the winter months.
A sign on the outside of the entrance warns visitors not to enter during the rainy season from July to November. – AFP
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