Thailand cave rescue: Troops race to reach youth football team

Thai Military Medical personell walk on their their way through a cave during a rescue operation Image copyright EPA
Image caption Soldiers, divers and special troops are working around the clock to look for the missing group.

Heavy rains are hampering efforts to reach 12 teenagers and their football coach who have been trapped in a cave in Thailand for four days.

Rising water levels caused by overnight rains frustrated hundreds of rescue workers as they worked to drain water from inside the cave.

Officials are now trying to find another opening into the cave, after the main entrance became inaccessible.

There has been no contact with the group since Saturday.

Search teams are also using a drone with thermal sensors to fly over caves in the area, though low clouds are making it impossible for them to fly far, according to BBC correspondent Jonathan Head who is at the scene.

On Tuesday, navy divers had reported seeing fresh footprints inside the cave complex, raising hopes for the group's safety.

Image caption The Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand's Chiang Rai province runs for many kilometres underground.
Image caption Thailand is susceptible to flooding during its rainy season, which runs from now until October. The cave can flood up to 5m (16ft).
Image caption The boys' bicycles were left outside the cave - they were seen as evidence by authorities that they had entered with their coach on Saturday afternoon.
Image caption Thailand has now deployed more than 1,000 people - including soldiers, divers and special forces - to search for the team.
Image caption Search and rescue teams by the Thai army have been sent out to the hills above the Tham Luang cave.
Image caption Helicopters survey the area as heavy storms continue.
Image copyright AFP
Image caption Soldiers carried large hoses into the cave in an effort to drain rising flood waters.
Image caption Officials said they have spotted an alternative opening into the cave and are working to see if they can access the caves using that route.