6 tourists die in Thailand cave flooding

Six Western tourists and two Thai guides died after flash floods swept them away while they were exploring a cave at a southern Thai national park, police said Sunday. At least one tourist survived.

The group was trekking through the Khao Sok national park in Surathani province late Saturday afternoon when a heavy rainfall caused flash floods that sent water surging through the cave, which was near a waterfall, Pichan said.

The tourists who died were three Swiss women, one Swiss man, a British man and a 10-year-old German boy, police Lt. Col. Pichan Kanayasiri said. A British woman, who managed to cling to a part of the cave, was found alive after a long search, Pichan said.

It was not immediately clear how large the cave was, but Pichan said a Belgian tourist was killed by a flash flood there several years ago.

"The tourists were inside the cave and didn't know what was happening outside," Pichan said. "They were trapped inside the cave."

The province's governor, Winai Phopradit, said he had ordered the national park to close during the current rainy season. "We have signs both in English and Thai warning tourists not to go into the cave during heavy rains," he said.