31 construction workers rescued from Los Angeles tunnel collapse: ‘we feared the worst’
The workers were safely rescued without major injuries, an outcome officials are calling a ‘victory’ after initial fears of tragedy
Thirty-one construction workers inside a huge industrial tunnel in Los Angeles made it to safety after a portion of it collapsed on Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called a blessing after they initially feared much worse.
The cave-in appears to have occurred between the tunnel boring machine 8km (5 miles) in from the sole entrance and the construction workers who were working 9.6km (6 miles) in, said Michael Chee, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which is in charge of the nearly US$700 million project. The workers were about 120 metres (400 feet) underground.
Authorities were still investigating the cause, Chee said.
The workers scrambled over loose soil more than 3.6 metres (12 feet) high to reach the tunnel boring machine, and then were transported back to the opening. Aerial footage showed workers being brought out of the tunnel in a yellow cage hoisted up by a crane.
None of those rescued had major injuries, authorities said.
Arally Orozco said she was at church when her phone started buzzing with calls, and then her son texted her the news of the tunnel where her three brothers worked.
“It was sad and scary,” she said in Spanish. “We feared the worst.”