Divers today entered a flooded cave 8.2 km long at Slovenia to try to remove five people who have been trapped in it since Saturday as the water begins to recede, the head of the rescue mission said today.

The big rescue operation is set up in Krishna Jamaa complex of underground lakes with emerald waters, the fourth largest known cave ecosystem in the world in terms of biodiversity.

“The first part of the cave is passable for now,” said Max Merela, head of Slovenia’s Speleological Research and Rescue Unit. “The divers they are going in and we hope they will come out with the trapped people during the day, by the evening at the latest,” Merela told Reuters by phone.

The group of five, a family three adults and two tour guides, had taken refuge in a safe spot in the Križna Jama cave in southwestern Slovenia, which can only be visited by boat. Divers managed to reach the stranded on Saturday and yesterday, Sunday, and bring them foods, water, medicines and a heated one backstagebut the height of the water made it impossible to remove them as they were at a distance of more than two kilometers from the entrance of the cave.

“They are in super psychological-physical condition, in a dry place, they have a heated back tent and all the supplies they need. They’re just waiting to get out,” Merela said.

He said all exits would be passable when the water receded and that the five people would be given diving suits. diving suit if they have to swim to get out of the cave.

Merela said that this is the first time that people have been trapped in the particular cave. “There was a catastrophic flood situation in Slovenia last year and the land has not yet absorbed all the water,” he explained.

Last August, Slovenia was hit by the worst floods in its history which killed six people and caused extensive damage to homes.

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