Five miners have been rescued from a flooded cave in Laos after being trapped underground for more than a week, while search efforts continue for two people still missing in the cave system.

The seven villagers entered a cave in Xaisomboun province, about 120 kilometers north of the capital Vientiane, last week to search for valuable minerals when they became trapped by a flash flood that blocked their exit. One villager escaped and alerted authorities.

Rescue teams from Laos, Thailand, and international divers from Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, France, and Australia have been working at the site. Several rescuers previously participated in the 2018 cave rescue that saved 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand.

The five rescued miners, identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing, and Laen, were discovered Wednesday in the fifth chamber of the cave system. The first man was evacuated Friday with the assistance of an expert diver through a narrow flooded passage. The remaining four were able to walk out Saturday after water levels receded.

Heavy rains have complicated the search for the two missing people, filling the cave up to the second chamber and preventing divers from entering until pumps can lower water levels. Rescuers have navigated more than 200 meters into the cave and identified five chambers in the system.

According to Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, the rescued miners reported a narrow crack in the fifth chamber that could lead to a deeper sixth chamber where the missing people might be located. The five rescued men are being treated at a local hospital and are reported to be in good condition.