Eight boys rescued from Thai cave; Operation resumes to free final five

Bangkok : Divers and rescue workers have begun operation to free four boys and their soccer coach still trapped in cave in Thailand, according to a Thai Navy official with knowledge of the operational details. Eight of the boys were taken out of the cave during the first two days of rescue operations, but five others remain trapped.

The eight boys who have left the cave are being treated in Chiang Rai hospital. Medical officials told reporters Tuesday that they're healthy.

“We are so happy that today we could rescue another four kids,” Narongsak Osatanakorn, the head of the joint command centre coordinating the operation, announced at a press briefing on Monday evening. All four were airlifted to a hospital in the nearest city, Chiang Rai. “Now they are fine,” he said. An elite team of 18 Thai and international divers supported by at least 80 other rescue workers entered the cave at about 11am on Monday, managing to send the last of the four boys to hospital by 8pm, two hours faster than the operation on Sunday that freed the first four children.