Thailand Cave Rescue LIVE: Six Boys Evacuated After 2 Weeks as Divers Undertake Dangerous Mission

Thai official heading the cave rescue says the next phase of the operation to start in 10-20 hours, reports AP.

CLOCK TICKING FOR REST | Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said the boys were rescued using full face masks. The first one was evacuated about three hours ago. He said the clock is continuing to tick for the remaining boys who are still waiting in the cave along with their coach and rescuers are going to focus on replacing the oxygen tanks so they can continue the operation, reports The Guardian.

Thai official heading the cave rescue operation says the healthiest have been taken out first, reports AP.

AP: Thai official heading rescue of youth soccer team in cave says the operation is going better than expected.

A military helicopter carrying rescued schoolboys takes off near Tham Luang cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand on Sunday. (Image: Reuters)

THAI GOVERNOR MEETS RESCUED BOYS | Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn is holding a press conference as the rescue operations come to an end for the day. Osottanakorn says he has met the children and that their health is “perfect”. He called today’s conditions as the “best situation”. 50 foreign divers and 40 Thai divers are currently involved in the rescue operation.

Ambulances and helicopters arrive at the Chiang Rai Hospital, which is the closest medical facility from the Thai cave from where a few members of the soccer team were rescued on Sunday.

Some in Thailand media claim that medics are closely monitoring one of the boys who has been taken out of the cave.

Thai policemen stand guard near the cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand. (Image: AP)

The Guardian is reporting that it is unclear whether the boys swum out, or if they were sedated and delivered by the rescuers.

US President Donald Trump tweets on the Thai cave rescue operation in his first comment on the entire episode that has been making headlines since the past two weeks.

The U.S. is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2018

Police officers block a road leading to Tham Luang cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. (Image: Reuters)

According to The Guardian, the third and fourth boys to have been rescued and are receiving medical examinations outside the cave, while the fifth and sixth boys are about to emerge.

Contradictory figures of number of Thai boys rescued: Thai Navy SEALS say four soccer team members have been taken out of the cave where they had been trapped. However, Reuters is quoting other officials saying six of the boys have already come out of the cave.

A military helicopter believed to be carrying rescued schoolboys takes off near Tham Luang cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai. (Image: Reuters)

ONE FAMILY HALF RELIEVED | CNN has spoken to the family of one of the Thai boys trapped in the cave for the past 15 days. According to the report, the family of 14-year-old Nuttawut Takumsonh are praying for their boy's safe return, and say they first thing they’ll do when he’s out is throw a birthday party for him. His grandmother, Wankaew Pakhumma has been praying at a small shrine in their home, worrying and waiting for him to come back safely. Pakhumma says she's "half happy, half relieved" that the boys have found, but says she's apprehensive that something will go wrong. "I worry (that) the officials (won't) get them out safely."

Reuters is quoting a senior official of the rescue team to say that six of the 12 Thai boys trapped in the cave along with their coach have been brought out so far.

AP reports say the ambulances drove to a nearby helipad, and a helicopter was seen taking off. Officials had said earlier that helicopters were on standby to take anyone rescued from the cave to a hospital.

Ambulances apparently carrying the couple of rescued boys rush towards a hospital. (Image: AP)

Two boys among a group of 13 trapped inside a flooded Thai cave emerged on Sunday, with two others expected to follow soon, the country's defence ministry spokesman told AFP. "Two are out of the cave. Two more are likely to follow shortly," Lieutenant-General Kongcheep Tantrawanit said.

GOVT CONFIRMS | The Thai government has confirmed that two of the first group of four boys have come out of the cave and two others are close behind. 

Reports suggest the water level inside the cave have reduced considerably, thus making the rescue operation less time consuming. Much of the chambers inside the long stretch of the cave was made walkable by the reduced water levels.

After a doctor in the rescue team assessed the health of the 12 teenage boys and their 25-year-old coach, a priority list was prepared to take out the weakest of the lot first with the coach being among the last few in the line of rescue. The boys have been divided into groups of four and each of them would be accompanied by 2 divers.

Helicopters waiting at the grounds to transport the Thai boys and their soccer coach who are trapped in the flooded cave. (Image: Reuters)

Thirteen foreign divers and five members of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit are trying to bring the rest of the boys - some as young as 11 and weak swimmers – through narrow, submerged passageways that claimed the life of a former Thai navy diver on Friday. Their ordeal has drawn huge media attention in Thailand and abroad, and getting the boys out safely could be a boost for Thailand's ruling junta ahead of a general election next year.

'FOUR BOYS OUT' | AFP is quoting officials to say that four boys have been brought out of the cave.

A BBC correspondent covering the Thailand cave rescue operation has shared a video of ambulances leaves the rescue command centre. 

WATCH: BBC footage of ambulance leaving cave site amidst reports first boys from trapped football team have been rescued #thamluangcave #thamluang #ถ้ำหลวง #13ชีวิตติดถ้ำ #13ชีวิตรอดแล้ว #พาหมูป่ากลับบ้าน #ThailandCaveRescue pic.twitter.com/qu441ZuiJH

— Howard Johnson (@Howardrjohnson) July 8, 2018

"Two kids are out. They are currently at the field hospital near the cave," said Tossathep Boonthong, chief of Chiang Rai's health department and part of the rescue team. "We are giving them a physical examination. They have not been moved to Chiang Rai hospital yet," Tossathep told Reuters.

Ambulances seen outside the Tham Luang cave complex after Thailand's government instructed members of the media to move out urgently, in the northern province of Chiang Rai. (Image: Reuters)

TWO BOYS OUT? | Two hours ahead of the expected time of the Thai boys coming out of the cave, Reuters has quoted an official saying two boys have been brought out. However, other sources are yet to confirm the development.