July 10 (UPI) — Twenty-seven workers were rescued after they became trapped inside a Los Angeles tunnel that collapsed Wednesday night, officials said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported that all workers who were trapped “are now out and accounted for.”
“I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped,” she said on X. “Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately. You are L.A.’s true heroes.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department had sent out a media advisory shortly before 8 p.m. PDT stating that as many as 15 tunnel workers were reported “isolated” by a collapsed industry tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area. The number of trapped workers was later increased to 27. An additional four workers rushed in to rescue them.
“Thirty-one persons, all believed to be tunnel workers, have been safely removed from the tunnel alive without visible injury,” the LAFD said in an update. “None are missing.”
The tunnel had a diameter of 18 feet and was being constructed for municipal wastewater management.
The collapse occurred about 5 to 6 miles south of the entry point, with preliminary LAFD reports stating the trapped workers were able “to scramble with some effort” over up to 15 feet of loose soil to meet co-workers on the other side of the collapse.
LAFD said the workers were then “shuttled” several at a time via a tunnel vehicle to the entry point.
Interim fire chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters during a press conference that “tonight, we were lucky.”
“We were very luck this time.”
Bass said she raced to site after hearing of the tunnel collapse and was expecting to be confronted by a tragedy.
“Instead, what we found was victory,” she said.
“We’re all blessed today in Los Angeles. No one injured, everyone safe and I’m feeling very, very good that this is a great outcome in what started as a very scary evening.”
The tunnel is part of the nearly $630-million Los Angeles’ Clearwater Project aimed at protecting local waters by investing in new infrastructure, including the construction of a 7-mile, 18-foot diameter tunnel to transport clean water from the A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility to existing ocean outfalls in the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The project received a $441 million investment from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.
“We must never forget these large infrastructure projects require workers that take great risks,” Rep. Nanette Barragan, who represents the area, said during the press conference.
More than 100 LAFD responders were assigned to the rescue mission, it said.
The cause of the collapse will be investigated, officials said.