Efforts to rescue the football team have been on for more than 24 hours
Bangkok:
A search is underway to rescue 12 teenage football players and their coach who are believed to be trapped in a cave in Thailand, authorities said on Monday.
Investigators believe the 13 people, hailing from Chiang Rai, crawled into the Tham Luang Nang Non Cave through a narrow 15-metre long channel.
Rising waters then blocked the path, which is about as wide as a single person, leaving the group stuck inside the cave network, Kamolchai Kotcha, an official with Thailand's national parks authority, told CNN.
"We have been working almost 24 hours but there are many limitations, the caves are pitch dark and very low level of oxygen in some areas, and scattering rains just made our task more difficult," Mr Kotcha said.
The group has been missing since Saturday afternoon. Authorities were alerted after a park officer spotted bicycles parked idly by the entrance to the cave on Saturday, despite it being off-limits.
Northern Thailand is famous for its remote and untouched caves, which draw visitors from around the world.
Investigators believe the 13 people, hailing from Chiang Rai, crawled into the Tham Luang Nang Non Cave through a narrow 15-metre long channel.
Rising waters then blocked the path, which is about as wide as a single person, leaving the group stuck inside the cave network, Kamolchai Kotcha, an official with Thailand's national parks authority, told CNN.
"We have been working almost 24 hours but there are many limitations, the caves are pitch dark and very low level of oxygen in some areas, and scattering rains just made our task more difficult," Mr Kotcha said.
The group has been missing since Saturday afternoon. Authorities were alerted after a park officer spotted bicycles parked idly by the entrance to the cave on Saturday, despite it being off-limits.
Northern Thailand is famous for its remote and untouched caves, which draw visitors from around the world.
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