Thai rescuers brought an eleventh boy out from the Tham Luang cave on Tuesday afternoon, police and navy sources told AFP, after 18 days trapped underground.
“The 11th boy is out,” the police source said, requesting anonymity, while a Thai navy source confirmed the boy “has been transferred from the cave entrance to the field hospital.”
Eight of the 12 boys who had been trapped within the flooded cave were rescued during the first two days of the operation. They're now recovering in hospital and are said to be "healthy."
Rescuers plan to bring out the remaining two members of the youth soccer team and their coach, along with four experts who have been by their side more or less constantly since they were found early last week. Nineteen divers entered the cave at 10 a.m. local time Tuesday.
"I hope all four kids... the coach, and the doctor and three SEALs will be all out today," Former Chiang Rai governor and rescue mission commander Narongsak Osotthanakorn told reporters Tuesday.
The boys were exploring the caves on June 23 with their coach when they were trapped inside by heavy seasonal rains. After they were found on July 2, officials cautioned it could take some time to get them out, but with heavy rain forecast to hit the region authorities decided to act.
Tuesday's operation, which will see double the number of people come out of the cave, was expected to take longer than the two previous days' operations, according to the Facebook page of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs.
"Today is 10 July. It will be longer than previous ones," the post says in Thai and English. "We will celebrate together finally. Hooyah!"
Source: Agencies