Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
In Wilmington, Los Angeles, a tunnel collapse on Wednesday night led to a tense but successful rescue of 31 workers. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the 1700 block of N. Figueroa Street, involving workers in a six-mile-long tunnel located 400 feet underground. The tunnel is part of the Clearwater Project, designed to transport treated wastewater to the ocean.
According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 100 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, including Urban Search and Rescue teams, responded to the scene. The workers managed to escape by climbing through the collapsed section of the tunnel. Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described it as a "very scary" situation, but fortunately, no one was injured.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with the rescued workers and expressed relief at the positive outcome, saying, "I am feeling very good that this is a great outcome to what started as a very scary evening." The collapse occurred over five miles from the tunnel's entry point, as reported by CBS4 Local.
The tunnel, part of a $630.5 million project, was expected to reach Royal Palms Beach by the end of the year. However, the construction is now paused as the contractor assesses the damage and determines necessary repairs. Robert Ferrante, chief engineer for the L.A. County Sanitation Districts, stated that the timeline for resuming work is uncertain.
The LAist reported that the project aims to safely transport treated water from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant to the Pacific Ocean. The incident is the first major setback since construction began in 2019.