Wilmington tunnel with 31 workers collapses in Los Angeles — Here’s what happened next

Thirty-one workers were rescued after the collapse of one industrial tunnel in Wilmington, Los Angeles, United States, on Wednesday, said the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). The collapse occurred deep within the Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel, the $630.5 million Clearwater project, which is currently under construction. The collapse of the tunnel was reported just before 8 pm near the intersection of South Figueroa Street and Q Street.

According to a report in the New York Times, Fire Department personnel were sent to the accident site, including specially trained search and rescue teams, equipped to handle confined-space tunnel rescues. The incident occurred in the Clearwater Project, which is designed to carry treated, clean wastewater from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant to the ocean.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed that all 31 workers were safely rescued, with no visible injuries reported. To escape the collapsing section of the tunnel, the workers had to climb over a 12- to 15-foot-high mound of soil.

What went wrong in Tunnel?

Before the structure partially collapsed, workers were operating a tunnel boring machine, which is used to excavate tunnels. Fire officials stated that when the loose dirt fell, it was more than 15 feet high, according to a report by NBC Los Angeles.

"It was determined that a structure failure of the tunnel line occurred approximately 5 to 6 miles in..." said LAFD chief Villanueva. "The workers had to climb through debris. They had to make themselves out through, and then rescuers actually came to them to assist them out."

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hailed the effort of LAFD in a post on X, stating that over 100 LAFD responders have been deployed, including Urban Search and Rescue teams and acted immediately to respond to this emergency.

“I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately. You are L.A.'s true heroes.”

“The City of Los Angeles has mobilised resources to the tunnel collapse in Wilmington. More than 100 LAFD responders have been deployed, including Urban Search and Rescue teams. Thank you to all of those who are acting immediately to respond to this emergency,” Bass said in another post.

The incident occurred nearly 6 miles inside the tunnel, making the rescue operation extremely challenging. The collapse happened at a location deep underground, about 450 feet below the surface, with only one access point located miles away, as per the HT report.

The tunnel, being constructed by Flatiron Dragados, spans 7 miles in length and 18 feet in diameter. It's part of L.A. County’s Clearwater Project, aimed at upgrading the ageing wastewater infrastructure, which dates back to 1937 and 1958.