The Los Angeles Fire Department on Wednesday reported that a tunnel collapsed in Wilmington, California. All trapped workers were rescued.
UPDATE: At least 31 workers were rescued following a tunnel collapse in Wilmington, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, NBC Los Angeles reported, citing the Los Angeles Fire Department. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Workers were brought to the surface in groups of eight using a crane at the construction site. No injuries have been reported.
“The City of Los Angeles has mobilized resources to the tunnel collapse in Wilmington,” Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a post to X. “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.”
According to CBS News, the collapse took place at the $630.5 million Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel project, commissioned by the Los Angeles County Sanitation District.
Flatiron Dragados, the project’s prime contractor, states on its website that the tunnel stretches seven miles, measures approximately 18 feet in diameter, and lies about 450 feet underground.
The company reportedly aims to complete the wastewater management project by 2027.
Documents from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department dated July 2024, obtained by CBS News, indicate tunneling was scheduled for completion by this year.
Also Read: Texas floods: Were warnings issued in time? What we know about alerts and evacuation orders
ORIGINAL STORY: The Los Angeles Fire Department on Wednesday reported that a tunnel collapsed in the Los Angeles Suburb of Wilmington, California. The tunnel is located near the intersection of W. Lomita Boulevard and S. Figueroa Street.
LAFD released a statement saying 15 tunnel workers were trapped. As of now, no injuries have been confirmed.
“As many as 15 tunnel workers have been initially reported isolated by a “collapse” in an (undetermined depth or diameter) industrial tunnel as many as six miles south from the response address, which is the sole tunnel access. No injuries have been confirmed,” the LAFD said in the statement.
Video footage from the scene shows a significant emergency response effort.
BREAKING TUNNEL COLLAPSE IN LOS ANGELES
As many as 15 tunnel workers have been initially reportedly isolated by a “collapse” in an industrial tunnel as many as six miles south from the response address, which is the sole tunnel access.pic.twitter.com/p4mGKG38EP
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) July 10, 2025
The department confirmed that 100 LAFD responders have been deployed to the scene.
“More than 100 LAFD responders are assigned, including LAFD Urban Search and Rescue team members specially trained, certified and equipped to handle confined space tunnel rescues,” the release added.
Details about the tunnel’s size and the cause of the collapse are still unknown.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
