Why were the Thai football team in the cave, how did they get stuck and where is Tham Luang?
A DANGEROUS rescue mission to save 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a cave in Thailand is over with all making it out alive.
Divers from around the world joined Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit to recover the stricken lads. Here's what you need to know about the rescue.
Why were the Thai football team in the cave?
The boys, all aged between 11 and 16, disappeared along with their 25-year-old coach after football practice on June 23.
They had set out to explore the cave complex to celebrate a boy's birthday.
The alarm was first raised when the "Wild Boars" team failed to return home and their belongings were found near the entrance to the caves.
Rescuers then faced a race against time to find the boys as heavy rain continued to batter the region.
How did they get stuck?
Heavy floods cut off their escape and stopped rescuers from reaching them for almost 10 days.
When they finally found the boys, they were weak but alive and the rescue mission began.
Sadly, former elite Navy SEAL Saman Kunan tragically died trying to save the boys.
What was the rescue plan?
The rescue operation began on June 25 with the cave drained the next day to allow navy divers to operate in the cave complex.
On June 28, British drivers joined the rescue and finally on July 2 the boys were discovered alive.
On July 8 — the first day of the mission — rescuers were able to bring four boys to safety.
They were forced to trawl through dark, narrow passageways, some of which are no more than two feet (0.6 metre) wide.
This is the dangerous route that claimed former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan's life after he ran out of oxygen.
The first two boys were rescued at around 6pm local time.
Shortly before 8pm, the Thai Navy SEALs reported on their official Facebook page that four had been rescued.
The next phase began on July 9 and a eighth boy was rescued.
How the rescue operation unfolded
June 23 -12 young players and their "Wild Boars" team coach enter Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand
June 25 - The search and rescue operation begins
June 26 - Cave drained so divers can join the search
June 27 - Heavy rain blocks hopes of reaching the boys as teams struggle through water inside the cave
June 28 - British divers join the rescue but heavy rain continues to hamper the search
July 1 - The rain eases as divers from the Thai Navy SEAL unit make progress though the water-filled passages of the cave
July 2 - The boys are found alive but "very weak" with video footage showing the teens looking frail
July 3 - The military says the boys must learn to dive but caving experts warn this could be extremely dangerous
July 6 - Former Navy SEAL diver Saman Gunan dies while taking part in the mission to rescue the boys
July 7 - As the rescue plans are worked on, the boys write letters home to their worried families
July 8 - The rescue mission begins with the first four out the cave by mid-afternoon UK time
July 9 - Another four boys are rescued and taken to hospital for treatment
July 10 - All 12 boys and the coach have made it out of the caves
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It was confirmed on July 10 that all 12 boys and their coach had been rescued after 17 days trapped in the flooded cave.
Cheers erupted outside the Thai cave when the rescue mission's chief confirmed that the four remaining boys and their coach would be saved.
Where is Tham Luang?
Tham Luang cave is in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, which is close to the border with Myanmar.
The cave complex is six miles long and has many deep recesses and narrow passages.
Tham Luang Nang Non translates as Great Cave of the Sleeping Lady.