[ad_1]
THAM LUANG CAVE, Thailand: The Thai authorities announced Sunday that they planned to evacuate an area around a cave in northern Thailand where a dozen boys and their trainers football were trapped for a "rescue operation". The announcement was made as dark monsoon clouds loomed in the mountainous north early Sunday, potentially increasing risks in the cave where rescuers were still waging a "war with water and time" "to save the 12 boys trapped and their assistant coach.
The boys, aged between 11 and 16, disappeared with the 25-year-old chaperone after playing football on June 23 while they were exploring the Tham Luang cave in a forest park near the border. with Myanmar.
"Evaluate the situation now, it is necessary to evacuate the area for the rescue operation," said Mae Sai police commander, Komsan Sa-ardluan, about 39. ;a speaker. "Those who are not related to the rescue operation, please immediately evacuate the area."
A large contingent of media began to pack equipment including tripods and cameras and to descend a muddy hill from the entrance to the limestone cave. A relatively dry period, new torrential downpours could be a setback for the rescuers who struggled to drain the troglodyte complex of Tham Luang in Chiang Rai province in the north
until the end of the day. to Sunday and Monday, with more stormy weather forecast for the next two weeks.
Narongsak Osottanakorn, a former provincial governor directing the effort said the "ideal time" for a rescue could come in the next two or three days. 19659002] "We are still at war with water and time," he told reporters
Gong Hui, a Chinese diver involved in the operation that drew some 130 Thai and international divers Reut said Saturday, before the cool rains, the water levels in the cave had "dropped a lot" after sustained pumping had removed millions of gallons of water.
Time is running out to teach boys – some as young as 11 years old and no good swimmers – to dive into narrow, dark passages that are sometimes no more than 0.6 meters wide and have challenged some of the greatest divers on the planet.
Former member of the Thai elite marine SEAL unit died during a dive on Thursday night, a grim shift in what began two weeks ago to celebrate the day. Birthday of one of the boys
On the hill, where rescuers seek alternative routes into the cave, Another accident occurred when a vehicle skidded on a dirt road , seriously injuring several people, the authorities said.
Earlier in the sprawling cave, frog lines and illuminated soldiers emerged from the darkness. wate
Dozens of soldiers from the Royal Thai Army were seen resting on rocks in front of the cave.
The billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted that a team from his SpaceX rocket company in Los Angeles is building a mini-submarine. help with the rescue.
"We had more good comments from Thailand, the primary path is basically a small child-sized submarine … Light enough to be carried by 2 divers, small enough to fit through narrow spaces. Musk tweeted, adding that it would take eight hours to build and 17 hours to transport to Thailand.
The Thai Ministry of Defense said that a team from a Musk firm with know-how drilling and exploration is expected to reach the cave Sunday
(Additional report by Panu Wongchaum and John Geddie, written by James Pomfret, edited by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and G Crosse)
[ad_2]
Source link
