Governor of the province Narongsak Osatanakorn affirmed that rescuers found the 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach at higher ground about 400m away from the first predicted location and they are all safe.
A group of doctors were sent to check the health of the boys and their coach, and it is expected that about four hours after medical examination, they will be brought out from the cave, he said.
Relevant forces have been deployed to serve the movement efforts, he added.
Rescuers, including the local Navy Seal, searched for the team from June 24 after discovering their bicycles and soccer shoes at the mouth of the Tham Luang cave.
On June 27, 30 members from the US special force along with a group of British divers joined the search and rescue efforts.
Located in the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, Tham Luang cave is an adventure tourism destination in Thailand. It is often closed during the raining season from July to December. Visitors are allowed to enter maximum 700m deep into the cave. However, the local relevant forces found that the soccer team had gone deeper than regulated.
