A construction site in Los Angeles turned into the scene of a high-stakes rescue Wednesday night after a tunnel suddenly collapsed, trapping dozens of workers underground. Thankfully, everyone made it out safely — but it was a nerve-wracking few hours for first responders, city officials and the families of those involved.
The incident happened around 7:58 p.m. in the Wilmington neighborhood, an area near the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Crews were working on a wastewater management project when part of an 18-foot-wide tunnel gave way deep below the surface. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the collapse occurred roughly 5 to 6 miles from the tunnel entrance.
In total, 31 workers were caught up in the incident. Twenty-seven were trapped when the tunnel caved in, and four others went in to try to help them. Some of the workers were eventually lifted to safety in a yellow cage attached to a crane, as seen in dramatic footage captured by NBC Los Angeles.
Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described the operation as a close call. “Tonight, we were lucky,” he told reporters, adding that more than 100 firefighters responded to the emergency.
Villanueva explained that the workers had to climb through debris to reach rescuers. “The workers had to climb through debris” and meet first responders partway, he said. Preliminary reports suggested they had to scramble over a 12-to-15-foot-tall pile of loose soil after the collapse before they could be pulled out.
The tunnel crew had been operating a tunnel boring machine when the collapse happened. Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager for the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, explained that the section which collapsed had already been built and experienced “squeezing ground,” leading to a partial failure. Fortunately, the men managed to reach a vehicle that took them to the shaft entrance, where the rescue operation unfolded.
Helicopter footage showed a massive circular concrete structure leading down to the site, packed with construction gear. The sight of workers being carefully hoisted to the surface in a crane-operated cage was both dramatic and relieving.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass rushed to the scene and praised the heroic efforts of the rescue teams. “I was so concerned that we were going to find tragedy. Instead, what we found was victory,” she said. She called the city’s emergency crews “L.A.’s true heroes.”
This particular collapse might have ended without injuries, but it served as a stark reminder of the risks that come with underground construction, especially projects as complex as tunneling miles beneath a major city.
Wilmington, where this all took place, is no stranger to large-scale infrastructure work, given its proximity to major shipping ports. But no one expected a night like this.
In the end, thanks to fast action, careful planning and a little bit of luck, every single worker made it out.