Rescuers stop search for last two men lost in Laos cave

Article excerpt

Rescue teams have suspended the search for two men missing in a Laotian cave, citing escalating dangers to personnel. The operation, which has already recovered some victims, faces mounting risks from water levels, unstable conditions, and the extreme difficulty of navigating the underground passages. Officials determined that continuing the rescue effort would endanger the searchers themselves without a reasonable prospect of finding the missing men alive. The decision marks an end to what had been an intensive recovery mission in one of Southeast Asia's most challenging cave systems.