Rescuers halt search for two last men lost in Laos cave

VIENTIANE, June 6 (AFP): Rescuers called off their search Saturday for two men trapped in a semi-submerged cave in Laos for more than two weeks, as the site became unstable and survival hopes faded.
Seven villagers became trapped in the cave in central Xaysomboun province on May 20 when flash floods blocked their exit as they hunted bats for food and searched for gold in old mining areas, state media said.
Rescue teams located five of the men alive a week later, with one extracted by divers on May 29 and four guided out the following day after water was pumped from the flooded cavern.
The two others remained missing despite intensive searching by Laos and international rescue teams.
Lee Kian Lie, a Malaysian cave diver who joined the operation on May 28, told AFP it was at an "end" as the risks of continuing outweighed the slim chances of the men's rescue.
"We were so close," Lee said. "The water in the cave was already manageable, but the cave entrance started to become unstable."
"To continue the operation is high risk," he added. "They will continue to manage the water by pumping and digging at possible resurgence points to let the water flow out faster. Perhaps a miracle will happen."
"Everyone tried. We tried. I am sorry for the family."