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Rescued boys are moved from a military helicopter to an ambulance at a military airport in Chiang Rai, Thailand, July 9, 2018.ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA/Reuters

Rescuers resumed preparations on Tuesday for a third rescue operation deep into a cave complex in northern Thailand to free four remaining boys and their soccer coach in a race against time and monsoon weather.

Four more of the boys were carried on stretchers out of the labyrinthine Tham Luang cave on the Myanmar border on Monday, bringing to eight the total number brought out so far after two rescue pushes in successive days.

The head of the operation, Narongsak Osottanakorn, said rescuers had learned from experience and were two hours faster in bringing the second batch of survivors out as scattered monsoon rains continued to risk flooding the tunnels with water.

Video captures tense scene outside cave as divers begin rescue operation

A crack team of foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALs guided the boys during a nine-hour operation through nearly 4 kilometres of sometimes submerged channels from where they have been trapped for more than a fortnight.

People across Thailand cheered the rescue operation, including at the Mae Sai Prasitsart school where six of the trapped boys are students.

“I am very happy about those who already made it out and I think everyone will be out today,” said Waranchit Karnkaew, 14, who also said the football-mad boys had been closely following games at the World Cup in Russia before they were trapped.

“I want to take my friends to lunch and we will play football together,” he told Reuters.

Soccer’s governing body, FIFA, has invited the boys to the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday if they make it out in time.

REPLAN, REPLENISH

Rescue organizers say they need 20 hours to replan and replenish oxygen supplies, with the next rescue mission expected to come some time on Tuesday afternoon, weather permitting.

However, organizers declined to confirm whether they would attempt to bring all five out in the third push, with the plan so far being to bring out four at a time.

“It is up to the environment. If the rain god helps us, then we may be able to work fast. But if the rain god doesn’t help, then it could be challenging,” Narongsak said.

The plight of the boys and their coach has drawn international attention, with divers, engineers and medics among others flying in from around the world to assist.

Technology billionaire Elon Musk went into the cave on Monday and left the rescue team with a “kid-sized” submarine his company SpaceX had built, Thailand’s interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said.

Musk said on Twitter: “Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids’ soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future.”

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the cave to inspect the operation and was quoted by Narongsak as saying he didn’t want to see this kind of incident happen again on Thai soil.

The “Wild Boars” team became trapped on June 23 when they set out to explore the cave after soccer practice and rains flooded the tunnels.

Thai cave rescuers face race against time

Doi Nang Non

mountain

1,276m

Group found

in cave under

this point

Tham Luang

cave complex

N

THAILAND

Bangkok

Main

entrance

Pong Pha

0

300

m

Boys escorted out of cave tethered to rescue divers, who carry oxygen tanks

Static

rope

Full-face

mask

Compressed

oxygen tank

Tether to diver

Boy’s oxygen tank

SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS

Thai cave rescuers face race against time

Tham Luang

cave complex

Doi Nang Non

mountain

1,276m

Group found

in cave under

this point

N

THAILAND

Bangkok

Main

entrance

Pong Pha

Boys escorted out of cave tethered to rescue divers, who carry oxygen tanks

Static

rope

Full-face

mask

Compressed

oxygen tank

Tether to diver

Boy’s oxygen tank

SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS

THAI CAVE RESCUERS FACE RACE AGAINST TIME

Group found

in cave under

this point

Tham Luang

cave complex

Doi Nang Non

mountain

1,276m

N

THAILAND

Bangkok

Main

entrance

Pong Pha

Former Thai navy diver dies while returning used air tanks to Chamber 3

0

300

Chamber 3

Operation base

m

Chamber 2

T-Junction

Tunnel narrows to

around one metre high

Cave

widens

Entrance

Person

to scale

Pattaya Beach

Smallest section

Cave widens

again

Group of 12 boys and soccer coach found perched on rock shelf in small chamber about 4km from cave mouth

Cross-sections of cave taken from 1986 survey

0

200

N

m

Boys escorted out of cave tethered to rescue divers, who carry oxygen tanks

Static rope

Full-face

mask

Compressed

oxygen tank

Tether to diver

Boy’s oxygen tank

SOURCE: GRAPHIC NEWS

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