태국 동굴 소년 구출 재착수
Over in Thailand.
A fifth boy has been rescued from the flooded cave where a youth soccer team has been trapped for weeks.
This follows the success of the initial rescue phase, when four of them were brought to safety.
Cho Sung-min has the latest.
The rescue operation Monday brought a fifth boy out of the flooded cave in Chiang Mai.
Reports say emergency workers carried the boy on a stretcher to an ambulance right after he was taken out of the cave where he was trapped for the past 16 days.
Rescuers continue to work to bring out the remaining seven boys and their soccer coach.
The initial operation started on Sunday, local time.
The Thai authorities said Monday's rescue operation began at 11 a.m. local time,... about four hours before they gave the first update.
"The status now is that we are ready, all equipment is ready, the oxygen tube has been put in place. I want to announce that at about 11 a.m. we began the second operation."
The divers were able to move in a few hours earlier than expected thanks to some favorable conditions such as declining water levels in the cave.
It's the same rescue team from Sunday, consisting of 18 divers, including five local and thirteen from other countries.
At least nine ambulances and additional support staff are standing by at the site.
Officials said their plan is to rescue four boys per day... which would mean the entire will take two or three more days, depending on weather and water conditions.
Meanwhile, officials said the four boys already rescued in Sunday's operation are receiving treatment.
Reports say they are showing no signs of grave health conditions, but are still being kept from physical contact with their families due to the risk they may have picked up infections.
Cho Sung-min, Arirang News.
