CHIANG RAI, Thailand — With thunderstorms and lightning threatening the sky here Friday night, pressure is mounting on authorities to save the 12 young boys and their soccer coach who remain trapped in a cave in northern Thailand, where they’ve been for more than 15 days.
Time is of the essence since heavy monsoon rains could further flood the cave system as soon as this weekend, making rescue and the team’s survival even more perilous.
None of the options proposed to save the team seem ideal.
Speaking at a midnight news conference Friday, the provincial governor, Narongsak Osottanakorn of Chiang Rai, said that while the weather is crucial to extracting the team, there is still a narrowing window of opportunity for rescue efforts.
“Conditions are improving gradually within the cave, so we need to choose the most appropriate time to move,” he said. The boys, most of whom don’t…
