SEVERAL construction workers were trapped underground after a tunnel collapsed in Los Angeles.
The 31 men were caught inside the structure nearly 450 feet below ground on Wednesday night, launching a full-scale rescue by firefighters.
AP31 construction workers were trapped 450ft underground after a tunnel collapsed in Los Angeles[/caption]
APWorkers being lifted using the tunnel’s sole vertical shaft[/caption]
APTunnel collapsed just before 8pm on Wednesday[/caption]
APMore than 100 LAFD responders rushed to the scene[/caption]
The collapse struck just before 8pm at the site of the $630.5 million Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel — part of the LA County Sanitation District’s Clearwater Project.
Crews were working more than six miles from the tunnel’s only access point when disaster hit near the intersection of South Figueroa Street and Q Street.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the trapped crew managed to scramble over a 12 to 15-foot mound of loose soil to reunite with colleagues on the other side of the rubble.
From there, they boarded a tunnel vehicle that carried them five miles to the tunnel’s sole vertical shaft – the only way out of the massive structure.
The workers were then lifted to safety in groups of eight using a crane-mounted elevator known as a “bird cage”, according to the LA Times.
The LAFD said in a statement: “Preliminary reports are that the trapped workers were able to scramble with some effort over a 12-15’ tall (undetermined length) pile of loose soil, to meet several coworkers on the other side of the collapse, and be shuttled several at a time by tunnel vehicle to the entry/access point more than five miles distant.”
By 9.20pm local time, all 31 were safely above ground, with many hugging each other in relief, KTLA reported.
No injuries were reported, but 27 were evaluated by paramedics on site.
More than 100 LAFD responders, including specialised Urban Search and Rescue teams, were dispatched in what officials feared could have turned into a multi-day operation, ABC7 reported.
LA Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X: “I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped.
“Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately. You are L.A.’s true heroes.”
The industrial tunnel, 18 feet in diameter and set to stretch seven miles, is being constructed to replace ageing wastewater infrastructure dating back to 1937.
Work began in 2021, and prior to the collapse, tunnelling was expected to finish by the end of this year, with the full project complete by 2027.
The new tunnel is expected to be activated by January 2028.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
Wednesday’s near-tragedy marks the first major incident since construction began.
Officials say the response — and the workers’ own quick thinking — helped avert what could have been a deadly disaster.
In 2023 in India, dozens of workers were trapped inside a tunnel after it collapsed while undergoing construction work.
Excavators had been removing tonnes of earth, concrete and rubble from the under-construction tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, when a portion of it collapsed.
Rescue efforts were slow, complicated by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of crucial heavy drilling machines.
All 41 trapped workers were successfully rescued after 17 agonising days.
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APFirst responders working the scene in Wilmington[/caption]
APLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass thanked the swift response from LA firefighters[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
