The cave system Tham Luang Nang Non cave is located in northern Thailand. It is one of the country’s largest cave systems and is popular with tourists. However, it is prone to flooding during the monsoon season between the end of June and September

Complex tunnels

How water enters the cave

Storms are forecast for the next few days. The rock in this area easily absorbs rainwater due to its porous nature. The rescue teams are concerned that the caves could flood quickly

RACE AGAINST TIME

Rain outside the cave increased rapidly after the boys entered the complex, flooding the passages and leaving them trapped. The heavy rains forecast presents a frightening scenario because the water levels could increase quickly again

DRAINING THE CAVE COMPLEX

Teams are working to drain the flooded cave. About 128 million litres of water had been pumped out by late Thursday, equivalent to about 1.6 million litres an hour. It is hoped they can be led to the surface once enough water has been drained from the passages

Communication problems

Real-time communication in a flooded cave is a big challenge. Electronic devices must remain dry and the dense rock restricts their range. However, the international team supporting the Thai authorities managed to come up with a simple but ingenious solution

THE SOLUTION

The team inside the cave established a series of walkie talkies connected to each other over 4km, from just outside the cave, with a delay of less than half a second