Special Forces divers fail to reach 12 boys and a football coach trapped inside flooded Thailands cave



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Several attempts to track down 12 boys and their missing coach in a flooded cave in northern Thailand for nearly two days have failed, but authorities said Monday that they would continue to try.

The boys, aged 11-15, entered the cave of Tham Luang Nang with their coach on Saturday afternoon. A mother reported that her son never returned from football practice that day, which triggered the search.

At an attempt at dawn on Monday, Naval Special Forces divers were unable to reach a large chamber inside the cave, according to Kamolchai Kotcha, a senior official. of the Chiang Rai Province Forest Park where the cave is located.

The passage to the room is extremely small, "flooded and covered with sand and mud," Kamolchai said.

Other attempts later on Monday also failed to locate the boys, although rescue teams found "traces" inside the cave, police said in Mae Sai district. on their Facebook page. They did not provide details.

"At this time, our family hopes that the children trapped inside will have formed a group and will be safe waiting for the authorities to get in and save them in time. That's what I hope, "said Sunday Noppadol Kantawong, the father of one of the missing boys.

Images of Thai TV showed bicycles, backpacks and football cleats left in front of the entrance to the cave. The area was filled with soldiers and rescue personnel.

The cave can be rife during the rainy season in Thailand, which extends from June to October.

The large room where officials hope to find the boys is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the entrance to the cave, which is supposed to be about 6-8 kilometers long.

According to Kamolchai, the tourists trapped in the cave by the floods of the past were saved after the water withdrew a few days later.

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