Thirty-one workers were successfully rescued after a tunnel collapse during a wastewater project south of Los Angeles, emergency officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to the fire department, all the trapped construction workers were safely evacuated without injuries, following a swift response by over 100 personnel, including specialized rescue teams.
“The workers managed to climb over a mound of loose soil nearly five meters high, reaching a secure area where they were then transported in stages using a tunnel vehicle,” the department revealed.
The accident occurred approximately 30 kilometres from downtown Los Angeles inside an 11-kilometre-long tunnel under construction for municipal wastewater management. The tunnel, which measures 5.5 metres in diameter, is part of a major infrastructure upgrade.
Emergency teams gained access to the site through a designated entry point more than eight kilometres away.
“This was a complex operation, but thanks to quick action, everyone made it out safely,” one official said.
The workers were reportedly trapped for about an hour before the successful rescue. Authorities are now reviewing the cause of the collapse and inspecting safety protocols at the site.
