Thai authorities have confirmed today’s rescue mission began at 10.08 this morning (local time), with 19 divers going in.
Despite the heavy rain overnight, conditions in the cave haven’t changed much.
Michael Safi reports there was applause in the room as the rescue chief, Narongsak Osatanakorn, the head of the joint command centre coordinating the operation, announced thefour boys and their coach will be brought out in the one mission.
More to come.
Key points: operation started 10.08am, involving 19 divers and they're bringing out last four boys and their coach #ThamLuangRescue
While we wait for confirmation about today’s scheduled rescue mission, Michael Safi has addressed some of the frequent questions we are getting from readers.
Has the rescue started again?
That is unclear so far.
Will all five get out today?
Authorities have said this decision will be made by the diving team. “I cannot answer this question right now,” Narongsak Osatanakorn, the head of the joint command centre coordinating the operation said on Monday night.
“It’s down to weather conditions and our plan. We’ve set a plan for four but if we want to rescue five, those responsible will have to adjust the plan. We can’t overrule the diving team because it involves safety.”
How are they selecting the boys? The weakest or the strongest?
This question has also been left to divers to decide, specifically the medics on the team. The only hint Osatanakorn has given as to the criteria of selection boys is a comment he made at Monday’s morning press conference.
Asked which boys would be extracted that day, he replied: “The perfect ones, the most ready ones.”
He also said the boys freed on Monday were in “better condition” than those removed the day before – make of that what you will. Based on information from the health authorities, we can be pretty certain that the youngest boy - aged just 11 - and the 25-year-old coach remain in the cave.
“When [the first four] arrived, they went through all necessary health checks include blood tests, lung X-rays, heart, eye and mental tests,” said Dr Jesada Chokedamrongsuk, from the Thai ministry of public health.
The boys were set up with IV drips and antibiotics and given vaccines for tetanus and rabies.
“When the first group came, their temperatures were low,” he said. “Two of them showed irregularities in their lungs. One had a wound on the right ankle.
“[But] now they have no fever and can do their normal activities,” he said.
“For the second lot of patients arriving last night,whose ages range from 12-14, they arrived with very low body temperature, and one of them had a low heart rate,” he said.
“Doctors have treated the boys and now all of them are okay and cheerful. They talk normally. No fever. We’ve started giving them “medical food” this morning.”
The boys will miss the World Cup. Doctors have said they will spend at least seven days in hospital being treated after their ordeal, which means they won’t be able to take up the offer from the president of Fifa to attend the match in Russia next week.
According to a preliminary health check on the first four boys conducted yesterday, two had minor lung infections and one had a fever, doctors said.
Both were treated with antibiotics and were healthy enough to be joking around by the evening.
The boys have seen their parents through glass, but not yet been able to touch or hug them. The hospital hopes they can have a conversation with each other over the phone today.
The boys are still wearing sunglasses as a precaution after spending two weeks in total darkness.
Their diet has been upgraded from diluted porridge: they are now allowed bread and chocolate, their two requests on Tuesday morning. The doctors have emphasised that all are safe and healthy.
We’ll have further details about the boys’ medical conditions shortly, from our reporters in Thailand. Michael Safi reports doctors are setting up a phone line so the boys in hospital can speak with their parents.
From the information given by health officials, we are getting a clearer idea of who is out of the cave.
It would appear the youngest child, Chanin Wiboonrunreung, and the coach, Ekaphol Chantawong, are still inside.
Doctors have said the freed boys are between 12 and 16 years old: so we can assume the coach is still inside as well as the youngest boy Chanin Wiboonrungrueng, 11 #thamluangrescue@heldavidson
The first four boys to be rescued have now seen their parents, and the other four will likely see their parents today, Michael Safi is reporting from the scene.
The reunification was from a distance however - the boys are in hospital and only saw their parents through glass.
Health officials have in the last few minutes provided an update on the state of the boys. The boys are generally health and safe, doctors said, but two are receiving treatment for “minor” lung infections.
It will be at least seven days before they are discharged from hospital.
The Australian foreign minister has flagged official recognition of the Australians assisting with the rescue effort once it is all over.
Julie Bishop said on Tuesday the workers’ priorities were on the rescue, but once their “extraordinary” work was over there would be thanks given.
“I am very proud that the Australian team have been able to play such an important and critical role in the rescue,” said Bishop.
“Dr (Richard) Harris, for a start, has been intimately involved in the health assessment of the boys.
“Our Australian Federal Police divers have been part of the daisy chain of rescuers. The Navy clearance divers have also been involved and we have crisis response teams on the ground.”
Dr Harris went into the cave to medically assess the boys ahead of the dangerous rescue dives.
Bishop said the Australian team - which included personnel from the Bangkok embassy - were working under the guidance of the Thai government and Thai Royal Navy. There were also several rescue teams from other countries, including the US, China, and Great Britain.
Last night, Gen Buncha Duriyaphan, an army commander involved in this rescue operation, said he had been asking the god of rain for three days’ reprieve to get the boys out.
They appear to have been granted two.
Rain has bucketed down on Mae Sai all night and continues to fall this morning in torrential quantities.
The extraordinary rescues of the past two days have been predicated on “perfect” conditions, including weather and water levels in the cave, authorities have said.
It is unclear if this downpour on Tuesday will complicate today’s mission. We are talking to sources at the cave site and hope to learn more soon.
It 6.50am here in Chiang Rai and it bucketed down rain overnight. Authorities said yesterday that heavy storms on Sunday night didn’t hamper Thai cave rescue efforts. Let’s hope it’s the same case today. @SBSNews
There are reports that the Chiang Rai city hospital will provide an update shortly on the health of the eight boys already freed.
In the meantime here are some numbers, put together by the Australian Associated Press (and so are a bit Australia-focussed but I’ll work on getting some stats about other countries’ involvement):
12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the Tham Luan Nang Non cave on June 23.
It was 10 days before they were found.
To escape, they have to negotiate about 3.2km of dark, narrow passages by swimming and using scuba equipment and wading.
It’s an 11-hour round trip to get in and out but divers have been doing it more quickly because many parts of the route are now drained.
Divers need up to 20 hours to lay air tanks and prepare the route.
So far there’s been one fatality - former Thai navy Seal Saman Kunan died while placing air tanks along the route.
There are 18 divers, five Thai and 13 foreigners, including Australians taking part in the delicate operation.
The number of Australians helping with the rescue operation varies depending on rotations, but up to 19 are involved.
The group includes six Australian Federal Police divers supporting the Thai Navy, together with a liaison officer and interpreter and Dr Richard Harris, a specialist in hyperbaric medicine.
A 100-strong support team is pumping out litres of water to stop more flooding in the caves.
Eight young members of the Wild Boars football team have been rescued after more than two-and-a-half weeks trapped in a cave in northern Thailand. In the second day of the long, complicated and high-stakes rescue missions, a second group of four boys emerged on Monday.
“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.
Four fellow teammates and their coach, Ekaphol Chantawong, remain inside, with hopes that they will be rescued on Tuesday.
Authorities would not make any guarantees, but the next operation is scheduled to begin at 4pm local time.
We’ll bring you updates as the mission progresses. In the meantime read our latest full report from South Asia correspondent, Michael Safi, who is at Mae Sai.
