This was published 7 years ago
That's it for tonight.
Based on former governor Narongsak Osottanakorn's comments, the mission has been suspended until Monday morning local time.
This will allow rescue workers to regroup and resupply oxygen tanks for the next phase of the mission.
It means yet another night trapped underground for the last eight boys and their coach. Spare a thought and/or prayer for them tonight.
Former local Thai governor and head of the rescue operation Narongsak Osottanakorn has confirmed four of the boys have been rescued.
"We have sent four of them to the hospital, all safe,” he said at a press conference.
The first two boys were rescued at 5.40pm and 5.50pm local time, and the third and fourth boys were rescued at 7.40pm and 7.50pm local time. (Add three hours for Sydney time.)
Narongsak said the next operation would begin within ten to twenty hours, but it depended on multiple factors including the weather and replenishing oxygen tanks.
“For the next question, what’s the next plan? We will get ready and make sure that everything is 100 per cent because all of the oxygen tanks and equipment have to be re-filled.
Reuters has reported the fifth and sixth boys have now been rescued.
"I have received information that six have exited the cave", a senior member of the rescue team told Reuters.
If that's correct, it means half of the boys have been safely extracted from the cave. Amazing!
Don't forget the coach, of course. I have a hunch he'll come out last, once his young players are safe.
And spare a thought for the rescue workers who must be pretty exhausted. Incredible effort so far from everyone involved.
Kate Geraghty is in Chiang Rai.
She has just filed this great photo showing a number of ambulances approaching the hospital.
We're still waiting to hear about the condition of the four boys confirmed rescued so far.
The official Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page has confirmed the fourth boy has been safely taken from the cave.
This is excellent news, and we only hope and pray the good news continues into the night.
The first boy rescued from the cave has been named as 14-year-old Mongkol "Mark" Boonpiam, according to a local Thai media outlet and The New York Times.
In the notes from the boys to their parents released a couple of days ago, Mark had said: "Are you ok at home mum? Please tell my teacher. Love you mum.”
And Reuters news agency is reporting a fourth boy has been freed, citing a government official.
More to come.
A second source has confirmed to Fairfax Media that three members of the Thai soccer team have now been rescued.
That source cautions, however, that there is still a long way to go tonight before all of the boys are - hopefully - rescued either tonight or over the coming days.
News agency Associated Press reported that two ambulances left the cave on Sunday evening (local time), but it was unclear who was inside them.
Meanwhile, there are other local Thai media reports that a helicopter left the cave for the hospital in Chiang Rai.
We are yet to hear any official confirmation from the Thai government, and the media personnel are no longer stationed at the cave.
A local official has told Fairfax Media, through a translator, that a third boy has also been rescued and is on his way out of the cave.
Al-Jazeera is also reporting a third boy has been freed and is being assessed at a field hospital.
Fairfax Media photographer Kate Geraghty reports that police are posted all along the road from the Tham Luang cave to the Chiang Rai hospital.
More to come.
Reuters is now reporting the very good news.
The first two members of the trapped Thai soccer team have been rescued from the flooded cave where they had been trapped for more than two weeks, a local rescue official has told Reuters.
"Two kids are out. They are currently at the field hospital near the cave," Tossathep Boonthong, chief of Chiang Rai's health department and member of the rescue team, told Reuters.
"We are giving them a physical examination. They have not been moved to Chiang Rai hospital yet," Tossathep said.
There are unconfirmed reports that two members of the Thai soccer team trapped in the Tham Luang cave have been rescued, according to Thai news website Khao Sod.
And Fairfax Media has been told the two boys - who have not been identified - are now being treated at a field hospital near the cave complex.
We stress this is still unconfirmed, and we are working to get official confirmation.
The boys reportedly left the cave at 5.40pm and 5.50pm (8.40pm and 8.50pm AEST) respectively and are expected to be airlifted by helicopter to Chiang Rai hospital.
The rescue of the two boys has not yet been officially confirmed by Thai authorities and Khao Sod is citing police radio chatter as its source.
More to come