Image copyright AFP Image caption The boys who were rescued on Monday are said to be in reasonable health 
 
 Divers have rescued four more boys from a vast cave system in northern Thailand on the second day of a complex operation. 
 
 The Thai Navy Seals leading the rescue operation have confirmed that eight boys in total have been extracted. 
 
 Four boys and their football coach remain inside the caves. Rescuers will try to free them on Tuesday. 
 
 The group became trapped on 23 June after heavy rains caused flooding, and was found last week by divers. 
 
 Four boys were brought out safely on Sunday, but the mission was paused overnight for air tanks to be replaced. 
 
 On Monday, air ambulances were seen departing from the area around the cave system and ambulances were seen arriving at the hospital in the nearby town of Chiang Rai. 
 
 The boys have not been seen in public, but have been pronounced to be in reasonable health. 
 
 The rescue operation is complicated by sections in the cave involving diving - sometimes in very confined spaces - and climbing. 
 
 The BBC's Dan Johnson, at the scene, says it is a careful, delicate operation fraught with risk. But he adds that this daring, dangerous and complicated exercise is delivering success against difficult odds, and relief is starting to break the tension of the situation. 
 
 Image copyright AFP/ROYAL THAI NAVY Image caption The group of boys and their coach were found after nine days 
 
 After Monday's operation had wound down for the day, rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters: "All four boys have arrived at hospital, all are safe." 
 
 He said the second day of the operation had gone more smoothly than the first, taking two hours less as the procedure became more refined. 
 
 Tuesday morning will see the start of attempts to rescue the remaining four boys and the football coach. 
 
 A massive pumping operation is said to have helped lower the water level inside the cave system, making the journey in and out easier than it was. 
 
 The Thai authorities say the rescued boys are able to eat rice porridge, although their request for a favourite pork dish has been turned down until their digestive systems recover from 10 days without food. 
 
 The government is strictly controlling information about the rescue. The names of the boys who got out have not been released, and even their parents have not been allowed to see them - for health reasons, say Thai officials. 
 
 'Daring to believe' 
 
 By Martin Patience, Chiang Rai 
 
 Outside the hospital where the boys were being received, there was a heavy police and media presence. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, the sound of a helicopter thudded overhead. It was a sign that the rescue operation was going to plan. 
 
 A few minutes later, a convoy with an ambulance swept through the streets and swung into the hospital entrance. It was carrying the first boy rescued on Monday. 
 
 Then as dusk was falling, a small crowd of locals gathered outside the hospital. Word was filtering out that more boys had been rescued. People were straining to catch a glimpse of the unfolding drama. 
 
 It came in the form of the flashing lights of three more ambulances - signifying the rescue of three more boys. 
 
 The rescue operation will resume on Tuesday. It is not yet over and is still fraught with danger. But people here are daring to believe what seemed impossible a little over a week ago - that all the boys and their coach will come out of the cave alive. 
 
 How are the boys being moved? 
 
 A team of 90 expert divers - 40 from Thailand and 50 from overseas - has been working in the cave system. 
 
 They have been guiding the boys through darkness and submerged passageways towards the mouth of the Tham Luang cave system. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Child psychiatrist: "It will be a challenge for these children to go back to normal life" 
 
 Getting to and from where the boys are has been an exhausting round trip, even for the experienced divers. 
 
 The process includes a mixture of walking, wading, climbing and diving along guide ropes already in place. 
 
 Wearing full-face masks, which are easier for novice divers than traditional respirators, each boy is being accompanied by two divers, who also carry his air supply. 
 
 The toughest part is about halfway out at a section named "T-Junction", which is so tight the divers have to take off their air tanks to get through. 
 
 Beyond that a cavern - called Chamber 3 - has been turned into a forward base for the divers. 
 
 There the boys can rest before making the last, easier walk out to the entrance. They are then taken to hospital in Chiang Rai. 
 
 In an indication of how dangerous the journey can be, a former Thai navy diver died in the caves on Friday. Saman Gunan was returning from a mission to provide the group with air tanks when he ran out of oxygen. 
 
 He lost consciousness and could not be revived. His colleagues said they would "not let the sacrifice of our friend go to waste". 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Wife and father remember 'hero' Thai diver: "He loved helping others" 
 
 Who are the boys and their coach? 
 
 Some details have emerged of members of the team and their coach. 
 
 Captain Duganpet Promtep, 13, is described as a motivator and highly respected by his teammates. He had apparently been scouted by several Thai professional clubs. 
 
 Myanmar-born Adul Sam-on, 14, speaks several languages, and was the only team member to be able to communicate with British divers when they were first discovered. 
 
 It was 17-year-old Peerapat Sompiangjai's birthday when the group became trapped in the cave. The snacks the boys brought with them to celebrate are likely to have helped them survive their ordeal. 
 
 Assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong, 25, was said to be the weakest of the group when they were found, as he reportedly refused to eat any of the food and gave it instead to the boys. 
 
 Read more about the team 
 
 How did the group get there? 
 
 The boys were found inside the cave by British rescue divers a week ago, about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth. 
 
 Aged between 11 and 17, they belong to a football club called the Wild Boars, and became trapped during an excursion with their coach. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Thailand cave rescue: Meet the volunteer helpers 
 
 It took nine days to find them in the underground network's dark depths. 
 
 The world football body Fifa has promised the boys seats at the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday, but it remains to be seen if they will be well enough to take up the offer. ||||| CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Eight of the 12 boys trapped with their soccer coach in a labyrinthine flooded cave complex in northern Thailand have been freed, authorities said on Monday, adding that the time for rescuing the others will depend on the weather. 
 
 The mission which started Sunday is a race against the clock with heavy rain expected this week which would again flood the tunnels with fast-flowing, rising water. 
 
 A crack team of foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALS guided four boys on Sunday and a further four on Monday through narrow, submerged channels from the muddy bank deep inside the Tham Luang cave where they had been stranded for more than two weeks. 
 
 “All four boys have arrived at hospital, all are safe,” Narongsak Osottanakorn, head of the rescue mission, told reporters of those freed on Monday. 
 
 Asked whether the remaining four “Wild Boars” team and their coach would come out at the same time in the next rescue effort, he said: “It depends on the plan... We have set the plan for four people so if they want to take five out (at the same time), then they need to change the plan.” 
 
 The operation on Monday went more smoothly than on Sunday and took two hours less as the practice became more refined, he said. 
 
 But he added rescuers may need more than 20 hours, to replan and replenish oxygen supplies, to be ready to mount the next mission. 
 
 Then it will depend on the weather. Heavy rain has struck the region intermittently over the last three days and further downpours could set back draining efforts at the cave. 
 
 “As all of us said, the main thing is we still need more than 20 hours to get ready,” Narongsak said. “And it is up to the environment. If the rain god helps us, then we may be able to work fast. But if the rain god doesn’t help, then it could be challenging.” 
 
 Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the cave to inspect the operation, with navy rescuers giving him a rousing cheer. 
 
 “The prime minister said that this kind of event should never happen again on Thai soil,” Narongsak said. “We should learn from this experience to prevent it from happening again.” 
 
 The team became trapped on June 23 when they set out to explore the cave after soccer practice and rains flooded the tunnels, trapping them inside. 
 
 British divers found the 13 a week ago. 
 
 Rescued schoolboys are moved from a military helicopter to an awaiting ambulance at a military airport in Chiang Rai, Thailand, July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 
 
 “RESCUE HAS BEEN IMMENSE” 
 
 But the efforts to rescue the boys - aged between 11 and 16 - have proved a monumental challenge. Some are not even strong swimmers, and have had to learn to dive in conditions that claimed the life of a former Thai Navy SEAL on Friday. 
 
 Thirteen foreign divers and five members of Thailand’s elite navy SEAL unit make up the main team guiding the boys to safety. 
 
 Authorities have said the boys are being held close to divers and wear oxygen masks to enable normal breathing. 
 
 “The rescue has been immense,” said volunteer helper Somjit Saenset, 56. “I’m so happy the children came out safely. I want to send my moral support for all involved” in the rest of the mission. 
 
 Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the rescued boys. Some of the parents told Reuters they had not been told who had been rescued and that they were not allowed to visit the hospital. 
 
 Narongsak said the rescued boys had not been identified out of respect for the families whose sons were still trapped, adding that the boys were being kept away from their parents due to fear of infection. 
 
 Medical teams previously said concerns included hypothermia and an airborne lung infection known as “cave disease”, which is caused by bat and bird droppings. 
 
 Somboon Sompiangjai, 38, the father of one of the trapped boys, said parents were told by rescuers ahead of Sunday’s operation the “strongest children” would be brought out first. 
 
 Slideshow (17 Images) 
 
 “We have not been told which child has been brought out ... We can’t visit our boys in hospital because they need to be monitored for 48 hours,” Somboon told Reuters. 
 
 “I’m hoping for good news.” 
 
 The president of soccer’s governing body, FIFA, has invited the boys to the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday if they make it out in time. 
 
 (Graphic: Hope for the 13 trapped in Thai cave: tmsnrt.rs/2KR2zRj) ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption There were cheers and applause as the first boys' rescue was confirmed 
 
 The operation to free 12 boys and their coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand is running "smoothly", the head of the operation says. 
 
 Four boys have been brought above ground so far in good health, rescuers say. 
 
 The mission has now been paused for at least 10 hours as air tanks need to be replaced. 
 
 Rescuers decided to go ahead with the hazardous operation on Sunday because of fears of rising waters. 
 
 The next phase would begin on Monday morning, after relaying "all of the air tanks and all systems along the way", Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said. 
 
 He corrected earlier reports that said six boys had been freed. 
 
 Divers have been guiding the boys through darkness and submerged passageways towards the mouth of the Tham Luang cave system. They have reportedly been able to make the last part of the journey on foot. 
 
 Rescuers took advantage of a break in the rain to launch the mission much earlier than originally expected. 
 
 The first phase has also been conducted much faster than officials had predicted. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Child psychiatrist: "It will be a challenge for these children to go back to normal life" 
 
 The group and their families had all given their agreement that they should be moved as soon as possible, said Mr Narongsak. 
 
 What is happening at the cave? 
 
 A team of 90 expert divers - 40 from Thailand and 50 from overseas - has been working in the cave system. 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption An ambulance arrives at a nearby hospital after leaving the cave site 
 
 Getting to and from where the boys are has been an exhausting round trip, even for the experienced divers. 
 
 The process includes a mixture of walking, wading, climbing and diving along guide ropes already in place. 
 
 Wearing full-face masks, which are easier for novice divers than traditional respirators, each boy is being accompanied by two divers, who also carry his air supply. 
 
 The toughest section is about halfway out at a section named "T-Junction", which is so tight the divers have to take off their air tanks to get through. 
 
 Beyond that a cavern - called Chamber 3 - has been turned into a forward base for the divers. 
 
 There the boys can rest before making the last, easier walk out to the entrance. They are then taken to hospital in Chiang Rai. 
 
 In an indication of how dangerous the journey can be, a former Thai navy diver died in the caves on Friday. Saman Gunan was returning from a mission to provide the group with air tanks when he ran out of oxygen. 
 
 He lost consciousness and could not be revived. His colleagues said they would "not let the sacrifice of our friend go to waste". 
 
 Sense of remaining unease 
 
 BBC's Nick Beake at the scene 
 
 This is a hugely high-profile rescue attempt and Thailand knows the world is watching. It has embarked on a dangerous option but believes it's the best for bringing the group out alive. 
 
 It has assembled a team of internationally renowned divers and so far their expertise has brought four boys - thought to be the weakest - back to their families. 
 
 But the relief of those mums and dads will be tempered by the knowledge that nine other families face an anxious wait for the turn of their loved ones to be shepherded through the narrow and murky corridors of the Tham Luang cave complex. 
 
 As one diving expert put it to me, when underwater cave rescues go wrong they go wrong in a big way. So despite this promising start, there is a sense of unease here in Chiang Mai. But the overriding impression from the rescuers is a clear focus and unshakable resolve to finish the job. 
 
 Who are the boys and their coach? 
 
 Chanin Vibulrungruang , 11 (Nickname: Titan) - started playing football aged seven 
 
 , 11 (Nickname: Titan) - started playing football aged seven Panumas Sangdee , 13 (Nickname: Mig), wrote to his parents: "The Navy Seals are taking good care of me" 
 
 , 13 (Nickname: Mig), wrote to his parents: "The Navy Seals are taking good care of me" Duganpet Promtep , 13 (Nickname: Dom) - captain of the Wild Boars, reportedly scouted by several Thai professional clubs 
 
 , 13 (Nickname: Dom) - captain of the Wild Boars, reportedly scouted by several Thai professional clubs Somepong Jaiwong , 13 (nickname: Pong) - reportedly dreams of playing for the Thai national team 
 
 , 13 (nickname: Pong) - reportedly dreams of playing for the Thai national team Mongkol Booneiam , 13 (nickname: Mark) - described by his teacher as a "very respectful and good child" 
 
 , 13 (nickname: Mark) - described by his teacher as a "very respectful and good child" Nattawut Takamrong , 14 (nickname: Tern) - told his parents not to worry about him 
 
 , 14 (nickname: Tern) - told his parents not to worry about him Ekarat Wongsukchan , 14 (nickname: Bew) - promised his mother he would help her at the shop once he was rescued 
 
 , 14 (nickname: Bew) - promised his mother he would help her at the shop once he was rescued Adul Sam-on , 14 - member of a volleyball team that came second in the North Thailand-wide tournament 
 
 , 14 - member of a volleyball team that came second in the North Thailand-wide tournament Prajak Sutham , 15 (nickname: Note) - described by family friends as a "smart, quiet guy" 
 
 , 15 (nickname: Note) - described by family friends as a "smart, quiet guy" Pipat Pho , 15 (nickname: Nick) - wrote in his letter he wanted his parents to take him for barbecued food once rescued 
 
 , 15 (nickname: Nick) - wrote in his letter he wanted his parents to take him for barbecued food once rescued Pornchai Kamluang , 16 (nickname: Tee) - told his parents "don't worry, I'm very happy" 
 
 , 16 (nickname: Tee) - told his parents "don't worry, I'm very happy" Peerapat Sompiangjai , 17 (nickname: Night) - it was his birthday the day the boys went missing, and his parents have told him they are still waiting to hold his birthday party 
 
 , 17 (nickname: Night) - it was his birthday the day the boys went missing, and his parents have told him they are still waiting to hold his birthday party Assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong (nickname Ake), 25 - apologised in his letter to the parents, but they replied that they did not blame him 
 
 How did the group get there? 
 
 The boys were found inside the cave by British rescue divers on Monday, about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth. 
 
 Aged between 11 and 17, they belong to a football club called the Wild Boars, and became trapped during an excursion with their coach. 
 
 It took nine days to find them in the underground network's dark depths. 
 
 Race against the rain 
 
 Officials had originally thought the group might have to stay where they were until the rainy season ended - and that could have meant months underground. 
 
 They had also been exploring whether they could drill down into the cave, as well as scouring the mountainside for another way in. 
 
 But with the rainy season just beginning, it has become clear that the flooding which originally trapped the boys will only get worse in the coming days. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Thailand cave rescue: Meet the volunteer helpers 
 
 Rescuers have been desperately pumping water out of the cave, and Mr Narongsak said on Sunday that water levels inside were at their lowest levels so far. 
 
 "There is no other day that we are more ready than today," he said. ||||| Rescuers move to the entrance to a cave complex where five stil lwere trapped in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand Tuesday, July 10, 2018. The eight boys were rescued from the flooded cave.... (Associated Press) 
 
 MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — A ninth boy was rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand on Tuesday as divers were carrying out what they hope is a final mission to save the youngsters and their soccer coach trapped for more than two weeks. 
 
 Thailand's Navy SEALs said on their Facebook page that "the 9th Wild Boar was out of the cave at 4:06 p.m.," referring to the name of the soccer team they are all members of. 
 
 Eight of the 12 trapped boys were brought out of the cave by divers in the past two days. The third day of the intricate and high-risk mission aims to rescue the remaining boys and their coach and also bring out a medic and three Thai Navy SEALs who have stayed with the teenagers in their dark refuge deep within the sprawling cave. 
 
 Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is heading the rescue effort, said earlier that Tuesday's operation began just after 10 a.m. and involved 19 divers. 
 
 "We expect that if there is no unusual condition ... the four boys, one coach, the doctor, and three SEALs who have been with the boys since the first day will come out today," he told a news conference to loud cheering. 
 
 Nargonsak said this phase may take longer than the previous two rescue missions. The first and longest mission took 11 hours. 
 
 The eight boys brought out by divers over the previous two days are in "high spirits" and have strong immune systems because they are soccer players, a senior health official said. 
 
 Doctors were being cautious because of the infection risk and were isolating the boys in the hospital. They did get a treat, however: bread with chocolate spread that they'd requested. 
 
 The plight of the boys and their coach has riveted Thailand and much of the world - from the heart-sinking news they were missing to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys when they were found 10 days later by a pair of British divers. They were trapped in the Tham Luan Nang Non cave that became flooded by monsoon rains while they were exploring it after a soccer practice on June 23. 
 
 At a news conference, Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said the first four boys rescued, aged 12 to 16, are now able to eat normal food, though they can't yet take the spicy dishes favored by many Thais. 
 
 Two of the boys possibly have a lung infection but all eight are generally "healthy and smiling," he said. 
 
 "The kids are footballers so they have high immune systems," Jedsada said. "Everyone is in high spirits and are happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist to evaluate them." 
 
 It could be at least seven days before they can be released from hospital, Jedsada told a news conference. 
 
 Family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass isolation barrier, and Jedsada said doctors may let the boys walk around their beds Tuesday. 
 
 It was clear doctors were taking a cautious approach. Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face "because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave." 
 
 If medical tests show no dangers, after another two days parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilized clothing and staying 2 meters away from the boys, said Tosthep Bunthong, Chiang Rai Public Health Chief. 
 
 The second group of four rescued on Monday are aged 12 to 14. 
 
 At least nine ambulances and a convoy of other vehicles were at the cave site Tuesday. 
 
 Heavy rains in the morning cleared during the day, a reassuring sign for rescuers who have feared monsoon rains could imperil the rescue. 
 
 Officials scotched any chance of using tech billionaire Elon Musk's mini sub made of rocket parts to rescue the remaining boys. 
 
 Narongsak said he was grateful for Musk's support but the equipment was impractical for the rescue mission. 
 
 Musk on Tuesday visited the cave and posted pictures and videos online. He said he left the equipment there in case rescuers could use it in the future. 
 
 ___ 
 
 This story has been updated with correct title and first name of health ministry official.
– "There is no other day that we are more ready than today," rescue director Narongsak Osottanakorn said, in announcing that 18 divers had gone in to rescue the Thai soccer team trapped in a cave since late June. "Otherwise we will lose the opportunity." Now, the BBC reports that four boys have emerged from the cave (or six, per Reuters) and been taken to the hospital. The operation has been put on hold for at least 10 hours because "we've used all the oxygen," Narongsak tells the Guardian. "For the next operation to happen, we cannot say. It will be between 10 and 20 hours, but not over 20. But we have to evaluate all the factors. Air tanks must be put back into place." After a deluge of rain overnight, officials feared worsening flooding in coming days would close the window to rescue the boys and their coach. The mission is an ordeal that could easily last into Monday, notes the BBC: Each boy is being accompanied out by two divers, one of which carries his oxygen, through a darkened journey that includes "walking, wading, climbing, and diving." A doctor examined the boys earlier Sunday, notes the Guardian, and gave the greenlight for the rescue. "This is D-Day," said Osottanakorn. "The boys are ready."