The first eight boys rescued from a cave in northern Thailand are in good mental and physical health, according to a health official.
The boys, who were brought out of the caves over the past two days, have undergone X-rays and blood tests. Two have been treated for lung inflammation.
They will remain under observation in hospital for at least seven days.
Officials say they hope to bring the rest of the group out on Tuesday.
Four of the boys and their football coach are still deep in the Tham Luang cave.
The group became trapped on 23 June after heavy rains caused flooding. They were found last week by divers.
How are the rescued boys?
The first group of four boys were rescued on Sunday, followed by four more on Monday.
Some of the boys had low temperatures, with one showing a low heart rate when they were first taken to hospital, but have now recovered.
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“All eight are in good health, no fever… everyone is in a good mental state,” Jesada Chokedamrongsuk, permanent secretary of the public health ministry, said at a press conference.
Health officials say they were at first given instant food and energy gels but are now eating easy-to-digest food. They also say some of the boys have now seen their parents – but only through glass.
Further test results are expected in a few days and if all signs of infection have cleared, families will be allowed to visit. However, they must don protective clothing and cannot go closer than 2m (6ft).
The boys also have to wear sunglasses after being in a state of darkness for more than two weeks.
How are they being rescued?
A team of 90 expert divers – 40 from Thailand and 50 from overseas – have been working in the cave system.
They have been guiding the boys through darkness and submerged passageways towards the mouth of the Tham Luang cave system.
Getting to and from where the boys are has been an exhausting round trip, even for the experienced divers.
The process includes a mixture of walking, wading, climbing and diving along guide ropes already in place.
Wearing full-face masks, which are easier for novice divers than traditional respirators, each boy is being accompanied by two divers, who also carry his air supply.
The toughest part is about halfway out at a section named “T-Junction”, which is so tight the divers have to take off their air tanks to get through.
Beyond that a cavern – called Chamber 3 – has been turned into a forward base for the divers.
There the boys can rest before making the last, easier walk out to the entrance. They are then taken to hospital in Chiang Rai.
In an indication of how dangerous the journey can be, a former Thai navy diver died in the caves on Friday. Saman Gunan was returning from a mission to provide the group with air tanks when he ran out of oxygen.
He lost consciousness and could not be revived. His colleagues said they would “not let the sacrifice of our friend go to waste”.
The rescue mission chief said the second day of the operation had gone more smoothly than the first, taking two hours less as the procedure became more refined.
A massive pumping operation is said to have helped lower the water level inside the cave system, making the journey in and out easier than it was.
How did the group get there?
Aged between about 11 and 17, they belong to a football club called the Wild Boars, and became trapped during an excursion with their coach.
They were alone for nine days, trapped on a small ledge in the underground network’s dark depths.
The boys were found by British rescue divers a week ago, about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth.
Who are the boys and their coach?
Some details have emerged of members of the team and their coach.
Captain Duganpet Promtep, 13, is described as a motivator and highly respected by his teammates. He had apparently been scouted by several Thai professional clubs.
Myanmar-born Adul Sam-on, 14, speaks several languages, and was the only team member to be able to communicate with British divers when they were first discovered.
It was 17-year-old Peerapat Sompiangjai‘s birthday when the group became trapped in the cave. The snacks the boys brought with them to celebrate are likely to have helped them survive their ordeal.
Assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong, 25, was said to be the weakest of the group when they were found, as he had reportedly refused to eat any of the food and gave it instead to the boys.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
