© Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesA group of volunteers prepare to leave in search of alternative entry points to the Tham Luang cave area.
Following the death of diver Saman Kunan, and with torrential rains forecast, it is believed authorities could try to rescue trapped boys tomorrow
Belgian media cite unconfirmed reports rescue mission will begin tonight
Belgian media have cited unconfirmed reports that the rescue mission will begin this evening and that a diving team will accompany the boys to the cave's exit two-at-a-time.
Ben Reymenants, the Belgian diver who was interviewed on BBC Newsnight on Monday and is reportedly on stand-by for this mission, told Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN):
It's a race against time, because on Sunday heavy rain showers are expected. But we remain positive.Reymenants also paid tribute to the Thai diver Saman Kunan who died delivering oxygen underground.
We expect that the first two footballers will still be at the exit today.
It remains a difficult course through a labyrinth of corridors, with lots of diving and climbing.
But the process is along with the current and the visibility under water is already a lot better.
Moreover, they do not have to swim a lot, they have an oxygen mask on them and they will almost always be kept on hand by one of the divers.
In the third corridor there is air for breathing, where they will also be checked by a doctor. Then there is another 1.5 kilometers of climbing and climbing.
There are those who would rather not swim in the cave anymore and be replaced. I also knew him myself and dived with him," says Reymenants.23m ago 11:17
He was very experienced and had a top condition as a triathlete, so the event came unexpectedly.
What has just gone wrong is not yet clear. Maybe he got out of consciousness because of carbon dioxide, his vision was limited, he got a lot of stress or bad air got into his tank. That will have to prove an autopsy.
A journalist at the rescue site wears a t-shirt saying 'Journalism is not a crime'.
Reporters Without Borders recently condemned the Thai junta's crackdown on news and information since the military coup in 2014.
It has urged the international community to take a firmer line with the regime, which has "stepped up online censorship and prosecutions of media outlets in recent months".
According to Freedom House, Thailand has one of the least free medias in the world with authorities banning hundreds of sites in the past four years.
36m ago 11:04
Stalls have been set up around the camp to give out food, coffee, toiletries and underwear to anyone that needs it.
© Michael Safi for the GuardianA woman appears in good spirits as she hands out underwear.
© Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesA man gets a free haircut at the command centre
Jacob Goldberg is at the scene of the rescue site waiting for the press conference to begin along with reporters from around the world who have assembled in anticipation of the interior minister's announcement.
Crowds of police officers are scurrying back and forth across the rescue camp like something is about to happen. A generator hums in the background. A few drops of rain are falling.
Spotlights shine on the platform where the interior minister is expected to make an announcement. Reporters are lingering around the platform. We've been waiting for hours.
© Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesMembers of the media wait.
Experts have further described how hazardous the journey out of the cave will be for the boys.
Prof Peter Styles, Professor of Applied and Environmental Geophysics, Keele University, said:
The difficulty is that these are not single caves but a series of linked caverns. These are caused by water laced with CO2, which forms a weak acid and dissolves the limestone. The cave system (which may run many many miles) tends to be liked by narrow connections that can easily flood which is clearly what has happened here as the storms occur.The emotional and psychological toll this ordeal will have had on the children, despite their beaming smiles in photographs, also cannot be understated.
The fact that a diver has died indicates how hazardous the journey through these is. It may be worth trying to see whether there is access into the cave where they are from the surface or whether it is feasible to make one if there isn't a natural access.
If it is already partly connected it would be feasible but tricky. To drill a shaft big enough to get folks through in virgin rock is difficult but not impossible, as the other alternative may be to wait for the waters to fall which, as they have said, may be months!"
Dr. Andrea Danese, Head of the Stress & Development Lab at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said:
Many of the young people trapped in the cave in Thailand are likely to develop new psychological symptoms in the short-term. They may become fearful, clingy, or jumpy; they may be fear for their safety; they may become very moody or easily upset (or, in contrast, they may become detached or numb); or they may develop headache and stomach-ache related to the intense distress.1h ago 10:33
Most of these young people will recover from these symptoms in a few weeks at most. However, we can expect that a sizeable proportion of the young people involved (10-20%) will develop more enduring mental health problems related to the trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or conduct problems. These young people will benefit from psychological assessment and treatment.
The interior minister has arrived at the rescue camp. Press conference shouldn't be too far away now.
1h ago 10:23
Earlier this afternoon, two of the British divers - who were among the team who found the trapped boys on Monday - arrived at the Tham Luang rescue site.
© Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesBritish cave diver Richard Stanton arrives at the Tham Luang cave area.
© Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesBritish cave diver John Volanthen (L) arrives at the Tham Luang cave area.
Macarena Vidal, the China correspondent for El País, has tweeted photos of sitting Thai soldiers as they wait for the interior minister to deliver the press conference.
2h ago 09:52
Apparently there has been some activity at the press conference - we're expecting it to begin soon.
2h ago 09:41
The mood at the rescue site is said to be sombre, in stark contrast to the sense of elation that abounded earlier this week when the boys were found, following the death of a diver and the forecast torrential rains.
Within the local community, people are reportedly deeply upset at the events that have unfolded since people they know are trapped deep underground.
© Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty ImagesThai soldiers make their way near the Tham Luang cave as rescue operations continue.
"You never imagine someone you know could get trapped in a cave," shopkeeper Patcharee Khumngen told the BBC.
A boy who goes by the nickname of Note, who is trapped in the cave, bought snacks at her store when he was eight years old.
"He's a good boy, very friendly, and always liked to joke around," she said. "Now that he's in his teens he looks quite handsome .. I've known his parents since he was a little boy."
In the face of adversity, the community has united to donate food and help the rescue effort in any way they can.
"Every house here has been talking about the news of the boys," Koywilai Promwijit, who works in a local salon, told the BBC. "The village has donated hundreds of packages of food."
Varee Srichai, a farmer in Chiang Mai, has volunteered to clean the rescue site and said: "I plan to stay here until the boys are rescued."
You can read the whole story, 'A community united in hope', on the BBC.
2h ago 09:12
The press conference has been delayed by an hour.
In a worrying development, Channel News Asia's Indochina correspondent says it "looks like it could rain soon".
3h ago 09:00
Interior minister expected to make major announcement in press conference
A press conference is about to begin outside the Tham Luang caves where an announcement is expected to be made by Anupong Paojinda, the interior minister.
Our reporter Michael Safi is there.
3h ago 08:55
It has been suggested that today's search for viable sites on the mountainside to drill down from and into the caves so to reach the trapped boys have been unsuccessful. They say they will look again tomorrow.
Comment: Children's football team missing for 9 days found trapped in flooded cave in Thailand