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Thailand cave rescue: Thai government announcement expected at press conference - live Thailand cave rescue: Thai government announcement expected at press conference - live
(35 minutes later)
Jacob Goldberg is at the scene of the rescue site waiting for the press conference to begin along with reporters from around the world who have assembled in anticipation of the interior minister’s announcement.
Crowds of police officers are scurrying back and forth across the rescue camp like something is about to happen. A generator hums in the background. A few drops of rain are falling.
Spotlights shine on the platform where the interior minister is expected to make an announcement. Reporters are lingering around the platform. We’ve been waiting for hours.
Experts have further described how hazardous the journey out of the cave will be for the boys.
Prof Peter Styles, Professor of Applied and Environmental Geophysics, Keele University, said:
The difficulty is that these are not single caves but a series of linked caverns. These are caused by water laced with CO2, which forms a weak acid and dissolves the limestone. The cave system (which may run many many miles) tends to be liked by narrow connections that can easily flood which is clearly what has happened here as the storms occur.
The fact that a diver has died indicates how hazardous the journey through these is. It may be worth trying to see whether there is access into the cave where they are from the surface or whether it is feasible to make one if there isn’t a natural access.
If it is already partly connected it would be feasible but tricky. To drill a shaft big enough to get folks through in virgin rock is difficult but not impossible, as the other alternative may be to wait for the waters to fall which, as they have said, may be months!”
The emotional and psychological toll this ordeal will have had on the children, despite their beaming smiles in photographs, also cannot be understated.
Dr. Andrea Danese, Head of the Stress & Development Lab at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, said:
Many of the young people trapped in the cave in Thailand are likely to develop new psychological symptoms in the short-term. They may become fearful, clingy, or jumpy; they may be fear for their safety; they may become very moody or easily upset (or, in contrast, they may become detached or numb); or they may develop headache and stomach-ache related to the intense distress.
Most of these young people will recover from these symptoms in a few weeks at most. However, we can expect that a sizeable proportion of the young people involved (10-20%) will develop more enduring mental health problems related to the trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or conduct problems. These young people will benefit from psychological assessment and treatment.
The interior minister has arrived at the rescue camp. Press conference shouldn’t be too far away now.
interior minister has arrived at the rescue camp #ThamLuang #13ชีวิตต้องรอด #ถ้ำหลวง
Earlier this afternoon, two of the British divers - who were among the team who found the trapped boys on Monday - arrived at the Tham Luang rescue site.Earlier this afternoon, two of the British divers - who were among the team who found the trapped boys on Monday - arrived at the Tham Luang rescue site.
Macarena Vidal, the China correspondent for El País, has tweeted photos of sitting Thai soldiers as they wait for the interior minister to deliver the press conference.Macarena Vidal, the China correspondent for El País, has tweeted photos of sitting Thai soldiers as they wait for the interior minister to deliver the press conference.
Estos soldados acaban de entrar en la boca de #thamluang . Seguimos esperando al ministro del Interior pic.twitter.com/VpGWbxs5ZBEstos soldados acaban de entrar en la boca de #thamluang . Seguimos esperando al ministro del Interior pic.twitter.com/VpGWbxs5ZB
Apparently there has been some activity at the press conference – we’re expecting it to begin soon.Apparently there has been some activity at the press conference – we’re expecting it to begin soon.
There’s some activity going on near the #ThamLaung cave, as apparently the Chiang Rai Governor and the Interior Minister are here and will also speak to the press pic.twitter.com/cepxFjKcghThere’s some activity going on near the #ThamLaung cave, as apparently the Chiang Rai Governor and the Interior Minister are here and will also speak to the press pic.twitter.com/cepxFjKcgh
The mood at the rescue site is said to be sombre, in stark contrast to the sense of elation that abounded earlier this week when the boys were found, following the death of a diver and the forecast torrential rains.The mood at the rescue site is said to be sombre, in stark contrast to the sense of elation that abounded earlier this week when the boys were found, following the death of a diver and the forecast torrential rains.
Within the local community, people are reportedly deeply upset at the events that have unfolded since people they know are trapped deep underground.Within the local community, people are reportedly deeply upset at the events that have unfolded since people they know are trapped deep underground.
“You never imagine someone you know could get trapped in a cave,” shopkeeper Patcharee Khumngen told the BBC.“You never imagine someone you know could get trapped in a cave,” shopkeeper Patcharee Khumngen told the BBC.
A boy who goes by the nickname of Note, who is trapped in the cave, bought snacks at her store when he was eight years old.A boy who goes by the nickname of Note, who is trapped in the cave, bought snacks at her store when he was eight years old.
“He’s a good boy, very friendly, and always liked to joke around,” she said. “Now that he’s in his teens he looks quite handsome .. I’ve known his parents since he was a little boy.”“He’s a good boy, very friendly, and always liked to joke around,” she said. “Now that he’s in his teens he looks quite handsome .. I’ve known his parents since he was a little boy.”
In the face of adversity, the community has united to donate food and help the rescue effort in any way they can.In the face of adversity, the community has united to donate food and help the rescue effort in any way they can.
“Every house here has been talking about the news of the boys,” Koywilai Promwijit, who works in a local salon, told the BBC. “The village has donated hundreds of packages of food.”“Every house here has been talking about the news of the boys,” Koywilai Promwijit, who works in a local salon, told the BBC. “The village has donated hundreds of packages of food.”
Varee Srichai, a farmer in Chiang Mai, has volunteered to clean the rescue site and said: “I plan to stay here until the boys are rescued.”Varee Srichai, a farmer in Chiang Mai, has volunteered to clean the rescue site and said: “I plan to stay here until the boys are rescued.”
You can read the whole story, ‘A community united in hope’, on the BBC.You can read the whole story, ‘A community united in hope’, on the BBC.
The press conference has been delayed by an hour.The press conference has been delayed by an hour.
After all that build up, press conference has been delayed 1 hour at least #ThamLuangCavesAfter all that build up, press conference has been delayed 1 hour at least #ThamLuangCaves
In a worrying development, Channel News Asia’s Indochina correspondent says it “looks like it could rain soon”.In a worrying development, Channel News Asia’s Indochina correspondent says it “looks like it could rain soon”.
Media waiting for Thai Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda, who is expected to arrive soon at #ThamLuang cave complex in northern Chiang Rai for a press conference. Looks like it could rain soon! ☔️ pic.twitter.com/NNsmpdDUXVMedia waiting for Thai Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda, who is expected to arrive soon at #ThamLuang cave complex in northern Chiang Rai for a press conference. Looks like it could rain soon! ☔️ pic.twitter.com/NNsmpdDUXV
A press conference is about to begin outside the Tham Luang caves where an announcement is expected to be made by Anupong Paojinda, the interior minister.A press conference is about to begin outside the Tham Luang caves where an announcement is expected to be made by Anupong Paojinda, the interior minister.
Our reporter Michael Safi is there.Our reporter Michael Safi is there.
All positioned for a rare second press conference this evening ne expecting major announcement #ThamLuang #Thamluangcave @matthabusby pic.twitter.com/msktost8rRAll positioned for a rare second press conference this evening ne expecting major announcement #ThamLuang #Thamluangcave @matthabusby pic.twitter.com/msktost8rR
It has been suggested that today’s search for viable sites on the mountainside to drill down from and into the caves so to reach the trapped boys have been unsuccessful. They say they will look again tomorrow.It has been suggested that today’s search for viable sites on the mountainside to drill down from and into the caves so to reach the trapped boys have been unsuccessful. They say they will look again tomorrow.
"The holes we found today all have dead ends": Birds' nest collectors from southern Thailand say they'll look for other air holes on Sat, hoping they'd find an open shaft that leads to the area where the 12 schoolboys and their coach are trapped #ThamLuang #ThamLuangRescue pic.twitter.com/gOSYvGesK9"The holes we found today all have dead ends": Birds' nest collectors from southern Thailand say they'll look for other air holes on Sat, hoping they'd find an open shaft that leads to the area where the 12 schoolboys and their coach are trapped #ThamLuang #ThamLuangRescue pic.twitter.com/gOSYvGesK9
Bill Whitehouse, the vice chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council which helped send the British divers who first met the trapped boys, said the death of volunteer rescuer and former Thai Seal, Saman Kunan, is “awful news” and demonstrates how dangerous the operation is.
“It illustrates the dangers in the operation that is being undertaken, it isn’t a walk in the park,” he told the Press Association.
“We don’t know the details of why it has happened, but things can happen.
“It is a very unforgiving environment, if something goes wrong you can’t just pop up to the surface.”
Kunan died during an overnight mission where he was strategically placing oxygen canisters along the mile-long route out, which takes five-hours to traverse, so that the divers can stay underwater for longer.
More than 130 million litres of water has been pumped from the cave this week and the operation will continue throughout the night as servicemen, volunteers and villagers alike work to drain the cave complex.
More than 130 million litres of this stuff pumped from the cave this week #Thamluangcave pic.twitter.com/HCIMkTt2Vp
The Thai authority’s favoured way out for the boys is through the cave passageways but with torrential rain forecast on Saturday it is looking at other options.
Plan B involves drilling a shaft into the cave from above where the boys are situated. Reports from earlier today suggested that the rescue team believed that they were near to finding a viable site to drill down.
Professor Neil Greenberg from the Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, King’s College London, has described the emotions that the trapped boys are likely to be currently experiencing.
In the days prior to being found, it is likely that the boys and the coach would have experienced a range of emotions including denial, anger, despair, acceptance and bargaining. These are common reactions in people who are trying to come to terms with a hugely stressful event. When the two divers arrived in their cavern, it is likely that, after a moment of disbelief, they would have experienced elation at least in the short term. Now the uncertainty of when and how they might be rescued will be beginning to set in.
However, there are a wide range of factors which might influence how they cope prior to them being ultimately rescued including team spirit, their health and the approach that the rescuers take to getting them to safety. It is also likely, given their age, that the nature of their communication with their families will also affect the children; anxiety expressed by their families could easily erode a child’s resilience. On the other hand a positive, “it’ll be just fine” approach may be an effective way of allaying their fears.
Greenberg goes on to say how many of the group may find it difficult to return to normal, while the coach may fear how he will be judged.
The coach may of course be concerned about how he will be judged when the situation is finally over. In the longer term, it may well be that many of the group will find it challenging to ‘return to normal’ when they are initially freed, however chances are most will be fine, perhaps even psychologically stronger in the longer term. We have to hope that if any of them do stay distressed for an extended period when released that they will be able to access good support and professional care to ensure that they are returned to a good state of health.”
As we wait for this evening’s press conference to convene, you may be interested to read our piece from Wednesday about where the boys found and how they can be rescued.
When 12 missing Thai boys and their football coach were found alive deep in a cave system on Monday, joy was tempered with anxiety. The caves are flooded with surging monsoon waters, pitch black and in places too narrow to allow rescuers to pass while carrying scuba gear. None of the boys can swim or dive. The dilemma: risk a highly dangerous escape or wait possibly months for the waters to subside.
These are the latest photos from the scene as it approaches 18:30 in Tham Luang, where another press conference is being prepared. Our reporter Michael Safi will bring you updates from the scene once it is underway.
We’ve compiled all of the tributes for Saman Kunan, the “national hero” who died delivering oxygen to the cave deep underground, and we will update this article as more information comes out.
The tech magazine, Wired, have published a fascinating article which delves into how the rescue operation is relying on some ‘totally ingenious tech hacks’ – drones, pumps, and 20-year-old DIY radios.
They’ve interviewed Thana Slanvetpan, a senior engineer at PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) who is managing a team of 30 volunteers from his company at the Tham Luang site.
“We didn’t know what the conditions at the site would be like,” he told Wired. “So we tried to bring all the technology that we thought could be useful.”
This included three aerial drones, equipped with 30x optical zoom lenses, and thermal cameras, the author wrote. These are routinely used for carrying out high-risk inspections of potential drilling sites, but found a new role during the search – first in creating a 3D aerial map of the area, and then in spotting potential access points into the cave from above.
“This is the equipment we use day in and day out,” Slanvetpan says – and it’s been a mixture of old and new technologies that have been instrumental in the rescue effort.
Drones and autonomous underwater vehicles may have captured the headlines, but radio kits made at home by tinkerers have been equally important in finding the lost football team.
It will take a similar combination to get them out safely. “Everyone is so delighted to see them alive, and to see them in good condition,” says Slanvetpan. “We can hardly wait to see them walking out from the cave – really, really soon.”
Footage from the headcam of one of the divers illustrates the extremely challenging conditions that present those within the cave complex.
Guide ropes have been installed to aid the descent of the rescue workers who are seen wading through the tunnel in waist-deep water with head torches illuminating the route ahead.
As they make their way deeper into the cave, the water suddenly deepens to around neck height, while the tunnel becomes ever narrower.
Headcam footage from Thailand shows the tough conditions facing dive teams working to rescue 12 boys and their coach from a cave.It comes after officials confirmed former Thai navy SEAL Saman Kunan had died while assisting with the opreration https://t.co/Cep6kE20A6 pic.twitter.com/r7jRGHrmBZ
Stories continue to emerge about the lengths that volunteers from all over the world have gone to in order to get to the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand.
Local authorities asked for skilled rock climbers who are prepared to climb at least 800 meters and Christoffer John Aquino, “Cedjie”, a Filipino national who has spent 17 years in Thailand, responded to their call and drove around 800km from Bangkok.
“I was called in to help as the cave entrance attempt was becoming quite a challenge due to rising water level. People were becoming restless and angry at the slow progress. So they sought another way in,” Cedjie said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
“Heroes are six feet under. If you knew you could make a difference, wouldn’t you do something? I was just at the right place at the right time in a really bad situation.”
As I just mentioned, rescuers are looking for possible holes above the 10-kilometer cave system that stretches into a mountain, and Cedjie is part of a team made up of rock climbers, cave experts and paramedics from countries including Cameroon, Russia and the United States.
“Was there a trail? No. Is climbing limestone in wet conditions difficult? F*** yeah! Is climbing limestone on trad gear in wet conditions more challenging? F**** suicide!”, Cedjie told ABC-CBN.
Rescue teams are foraging through dense woodland above the cave complex looking for another way to extract the trapped football team.
Forecasts for torrential rain have threatened the favoured plan to bring the boys back through the water-logged passageways to the cave’s entrance and hastened the search for a viable alternative.
“We want to find the way down. I believe we are close,” Thanes Weerasiri, president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand, told Reuters at a makeshift camp near the cave as helicopters buzzed overhead.
Weerasiri’s engineers are chiselling away fragile limestone rocks that he said could be just hundreds of metres from where the boys are trapped.
“Originally we were exploring it as a way to bring supplies to the children from the back end of the cave, but now it could become more,” said Thanes.
Chalongchai Chaiyakum, a senior Thai army officer, said that one team travelled some 300 metres down a shaft on the hill on Thursday until they reached a dead end. He said that up to 200 people are exploring the hill to try to find a workable shaft.