All 31 Workers Rescued After Los Angeles Tunnel Collapse/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A tunnel under construction in Los Angeles partially collapsed Wednesday, trapping 31 workers underground. All workers made it to safety without serious injuries after navigating through debris. Authorities have paused construction as they investigate the cause of the collapse.
Quick Look: LA Tunnel Collapse
- Collapse occurred in Clean Water Project tunnel
- All 31 workers safely rescued without serious injuries
- Cause under investigation; work halted until deemed safe
All 31 Workers Safely Escape After Tunnel Collapse in Los Angeles
Deep Look
LOS ANGELES (AP) — All 31 workers trapped inside a massive industrial tunnel under Los Angeles have safely made it out after a partial collapse Wednesday evening, a result officials described as a “blessing” amid fears of a far worse outcome.
The collapse occurred roughly 400 feet underground between a tunnel boring machine and the construction crew working even deeper, said Michael Chee, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts overseeing the nearly $700 million project. The workers were located between five and six miles inside the seven-mile-long tunnel.
The tunnel, measuring 18 feet wide, is part of Los Angeles County’s Clean Water Project and will eventually carry treated wastewater from the city to the Pacific Ocean.
Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva explained that workers initially had to navigate through the most dangerous section themselves, climbing over 12 to 15 feet of fallen earth and debris, before rescuers could help guide them out. Aerial footage showed crews being lifted from the tunnel in a yellow rescue cage hoisted by crane. No major injuries were reported.
“They knew exactly what to do,” said L.A. City Councilmember Tim McOsker. “Thank goodness for the good people that were down in the tunnel.”
Some of the workers, including three brothers from one family, described the terrifying moments underground.
“My brother was crying,” said Arally Orozco, whose three siblings were trapped. “He told me he thought he was going to die underground.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass visited the site and praised the successful rescue.
“I know when we raced down here I was so concerned that we were going to find tragedy. Instead, what we found was victory,” Bass said. “All of the men that were in that tunnel, rescued, up, safe.”
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Officials have halted work on the project until the incident is fully analyzed and it’s deemed safe to continue.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.