Seven villagers remain trapped inside a remote cave in Xaysomboun province, six days after entering the site, as Lao authorities and international rescue teams continue efforts to reach them.
The Lao government has still not released an official public statement on the incident.
The group, from Long Chaeng district, reportedly entered the cave on 20 May to search for gold and hunt wildlife, activities that remain common in remote parts of Laos but are rarely discussed publicly.
According to local accounts, the villagers initially avoided posting about the emergency online out of fear of possible backlash from authorities. Only after repeated rescue attempts failed did they seek help through social media, sending a video via Facebook Messenger to a local influencer.
The influencer later shared the footage publicly with a caption asking for urgent help, saying villagers and district officials were trying to pump water out of the cave to rescue the seven people trapped inside.
The video showed rescuers working near the flooded entrance.
Thai Rescue Team
The story quickly spread onto Thai social media, and a 26-member Thai rescue team reportedly traveled to Xaysomboun on 23 May to assist. Local reports also said Chinese specialists may have joined the operation.
The cave is believed to be more than 100 meters deep, with a narrow entrance and steep rocky chambers. One member of the original group reportedly managed to escape to the fourth level, roughly 40 to 50 meters from the entrance, before warning others that water levels were rapidly rising following heavy rainfall.
The remaining seven villagers were trapped for nearly three days before the situation became publicly known.
Village authorities have since mobilized soldiers, police officers, medical teams, district officials, and local residents to support the rescue operation. Water pumps continue working at the site, although ongoing rain has complicated efforts.
Illegal mining and wildlife hunting in remote Lao provinces often remain hidden from public view, and in cases like this, social media increasingly becomes the first channel through which emergencies emerge.
Families are still waiting for news, while there’s no official update yet on the condition or survival of the trapped villagers. Rescue efforts remain ongoing.
On 25 May, Laos and Cambodia signed a joint framework agreement in Phnom Penh to launch a feasibility study on a cross-border power grid interconnection.
The goal is to advance key regional energy priorities under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030.
State-owned utilities from both countries signed the agreement, with the ASEAN Center for Energy co-signing and coordinating the World Bank-funded initiative.
Researchers will assess technical standards, legal frameworks, and transmission strategies needed to enable electricity trade between the two neighbours.
The ASEAN Power Grid targets a 30 percent renewable energy share in total primary energy supply and 45 percent in installed power capacity by 2030, built around three objectives: strengthening regional energy connectivity, enhancing energy security, accelerating decarbonisation, and advancing inclusive energy development.
The Laos-Cambodia agreement adds a southern corridor to an already expanding regional grid. In late April, Laos and China activated a new 500 kV transmission line capable of carrying up to three billion kilowatt-hours annually from Oudomxay, including output from Laos’ largest solar farm, a 1,000 megawatts (MW) project generating approximately 1.65 billion kilowatt-hour per year.
The link made Laos the first country to trade renewable power directly into China’s electricity grid.
Laos also supplies clean energy well beyond its immediate neighbors.
The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project has transmitted Lao hydropower to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia since 2022, the first multilateral cross-border electricity trade among four ASEAN countries. The project now operates at full expanded capacity, doubling its total to 200 MW, with Laos as the primary upstream supplier.
Laos is stepping up nationwide reforestation efforts in 2026, with authorities across several provinces preparing to plant more than 10 million trees and restore thousands of hectares of degraded forest land as part of wider climate and environmental protection campaigns.
The initiatives are being launched ahead of National Arbor Day on 1 June and World Environment Day on 5 June, with provincial authorities promoting tree planting, forest recovery, and public participation in environmental conservation.
Authorities across provinces said the campaign aimed to increase forest cover, recover degraded land, improve biodiversity, and encourage long-term public participation in environmental conservation.
Provinces expand forest restoration targets
In Vientiane Capital, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has prepared around 3 million seedlings to support tree planting and forest restoration activities across all nine districts.
The capital aims to plant and restore forests across 405 hectares in 2026, including 300 hectares of commercial plantations and 100 hectares of forest rehabilitation areas. Planting activities will take place along roadsides, in public parks, at schools, at temples, at offices, on state land, and in community spaces on 1 June.
Meanwhile, Attapeu province has prepared more than 4.23 million seedlings as part of its 2026 reforestation plan, making it one of the country’s largest restoration campaigns this year.
Provincial authorities aim to plant 630 hectares of new forest and rehabilitate more than 8,200 hectares of degraded forest land. Activities will include large-scale tree planting along the Xe Khong River in Samakkhixay district, environmental cleanup campaigns, and awareness programs targeting students and local communities.
Officials in Attapeu said the campaign is intended to strengthen public understanding of climate change, droughts, flooding, and the importance of forest conservation.
Elsewhere, Luang Prabang province has also announced plans to prepare around 1 million seedlings for forest restoration activities, while Champasak province aims to plant more than 1.5 million seedlings across the province.
In Salavan province, Ta Oi district plans to plant 218,157 trees across 306 hectares this year. Local authorities have prepared ten species of seedlings.
The 70% Coverage Target
Authorities are placing greater focus on tree survival rates and long-term forest quality, while encouraging public participation in tree care during the rainy season to support forest recovery.
These campaigns align with Laos’ national forestry strategy, which aims to raise forest coverage to 70 percent by 2035. The target comes in response to long-term forest decline linked to agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development.
Over the past two decades, Laos has lost around 58 percent of its intact forest landscapes, putting pressure on ecosystems and increasing climate vulnerability. Officials say reforestation remains central to restoring ecological balance and reducing environmental risks.
With nearly 10 million trees planned across provinces, Laos is expanding its 2026 reforestation drive to restore degraded land and strengthen forest cover. Authorities also stress long-term care of planted trees to support sustainable forest recovery.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webp00Soutsada Xaphouvonghttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSoutsada Xaphouvong2026-05-28 08:51:002026-05-27 11:57:40Laos Targets Nearly 10 Million Trees in Nationwide Reforestation Plan
Seven Villagers Remain Trapped in Xaysomboun Cave Amid Alleged Illegal Gold Mining
Seven villagers remain trapped inside a remote cave in Xaysomboun province, six days after entering the site, as Lao authorities and international rescue teams continue efforts to reach them.
The Lao government has still not released an official public statement on the incident.
The group, from Long Chaeng district, reportedly entered the cave on 20 May to search for gold and hunt wildlife, activities that remain common in remote parts of Laos but are rarely discussed publicly.
According to local accounts, the villagers initially avoided posting about the emergency online out of fear of possible backlash from authorities. Only after repeated rescue attempts failed did they seek help through social media, sending a video via Facebook Messenger to a local influencer.
The influencer later shared the footage publicly with a caption asking for urgent help, saying villagers and district officials were trying to pump water out of the cave to rescue the seven people trapped inside.
The video showed rescuers working near the flooded entrance.
Thai Rescue Team
The story quickly spread onto Thai social media, and a 26-member Thai rescue team reportedly traveled to Xaysomboun on 23 May to assist. Local reports also said Chinese specialists may have joined the operation.
The cave is believed to be more than 100 meters deep, with a narrow entrance and steep rocky chambers. One member of the original group reportedly managed to escape to the fourth level, roughly 40 to 50 meters from the entrance, before warning others that water levels were rapidly rising following heavy rainfall.
The remaining seven villagers were trapped for nearly three days before the situation became publicly known.
Village authorities have since mobilized soldiers, police officers, medical teams, district officials, and local residents to support the rescue operation. Water pumps continue working at the site, although ongoing rain has complicated efforts.
Illegal mining and wildlife hunting in remote Lao provinces often remain hidden from public view, and in cases like this, social media increasingly becomes the first channel through which emergencies emerge.
Families are still waiting for news, while there’s no official update yet on the condition or survival of the trapped villagers. Rescue efforts remain ongoing.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/05/25/seven-villagers-remain-trapped-in-xaysomboun-cave-amid-alleged-illegal-gold-mining/
Laos, Cambodia Advance ASEAN Power Grid
On 25 May, Laos and Cambodia signed a joint framework agreement in Phnom Penh to launch a feasibility study on a cross-border power grid interconnection.
The goal is to advance key regional energy priorities under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030.
State-owned utilities from both countries signed the agreement, with the ASEAN Center for Energy co-signing and coordinating the World Bank-funded initiative.
Researchers will assess technical standards, legal frameworks, and transmission strategies needed to enable electricity trade between the two neighbours.
The ASEAN Power Grid targets a 30 percent renewable energy share in total primary energy supply and 45 percent in installed power capacity by 2030, built around three objectives: strengthening regional energy connectivity, enhancing energy security, accelerating decarbonisation, and advancing inclusive energy development.
The Laos-Cambodia agreement adds a southern corridor to an already expanding regional grid. In late April, Laos and China activated a new 500 kV transmission line capable of carrying up to three billion kilowatt-hours annually from Oudomxay, including output from Laos’ largest solar farm, a 1,000 megawatts (MW) project generating approximately 1.65 billion kilowatt-hour per year.
The link made Laos the first country to trade renewable power directly into China’s electricity grid.
Laos also supplies clean energy well beyond its immediate neighbors.
The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project has transmitted Lao hydropower to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia since 2022, the first multilateral cross-border electricity trade among four ASEAN countries. The project now operates at full expanded capacity, doubling its total to 200 MW, with Laos as the primary upstream supplier.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/05/26/laos-cambodia-advance-asean-power-grid/
Laos Targets Nearly 10 Million Trees in Nationwide Reforestation Plan
Laos is stepping up nationwide reforestation efforts in 2026, with authorities across several provinces preparing to plant more than 10 million trees and restore thousands of hectares of degraded forest land as part of wider climate and environmental protection campaigns.
The initiatives are being launched ahead of National Arbor Day on 1 June and World Environment Day on 5 June, with provincial authorities promoting tree planting, forest recovery, and public participation in environmental conservation.
Authorities across provinces said the campaign aimed to increase forest cover, recover degraded land, improve biodiversity, and encourage long-term public participation in environmental conservation.
Provinces expand forest restoration targets
In Vientiane Capital, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has prepared around 3 million seedlings to support tree planting and forest restoration activities across all nine districts.
The capital aims to plant and restore forests across 405 hectares in 2026, including 300 hectares of commercial plantations and 100 hectares of forest rehabilitation areas. Planting activities will take place along roadsides, in public parks, at schools, at temples, at offices, on state land, and in community spaces on 1 June.
Meanwhile, Attapeu province has prepared more than 4.23 million seedlings as part of its 2026 reforestation plan, making it one of the country’s largest restoration campaigns this year.
Provincial authorities aim to plant 630 hectares of new forest and rehabilitate more than 8,200 hectares of degraded forest land. Activities will include large-scale tree planting along the Xe Khong River in Samakkhixay district, environmental cleanup campaigns, and awareness programs targeting students and local communities.
Officials in Attapeu said the campaign is intended to strengthen public understanding of climate change, droughts, flooding, and the importance of forest conservation.
Elsewhere, Luang Prabang province has also announced plans to prepare around 1 million seedlings for forest restoration activities, while Champasak province aims to plant more than 1.5 million seedlings across the province.
In Salavan province, Ta Oi district plans to plant 218,157 trees across 306 hectares this year. Local authorities have prepared ten species of seedlings.
The 70% Coverage Target
Authorities are placing greater focus on tree survival rates and long-term forest quality, while encouraging public participation in tree care during the rainy season to support forest recovery.
These campaigns align with Laos’ national forestry strategy, which aims to raise forest coverage to 70 percent by 2035. The target comes in response to long-term forest decline linked to agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development.
Over the past two decades, Laos has lost around 58 percent of its intact forest landscapes, putting pressure on ecosystems and increasing climate vulnerability. Officials say reforestation remains central to restoring ecological balance and reducing environmental risks.
With nearly 10 million trees planned across provinces, Laos is expanding its 2026 reforestation drive to restore degraded land and strengthen forest cover. Authorities also stress long-term care of planted trees to support sustainable forest recovery.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/05/21/laos-targets-nearly-10-million-trees-in-nationwide-reforestation-plan/