31 workers reach safety after partial collapse of Los Angeles industrial tunnel
LOS ANGELES — Thirty-one construction workers inside a huge industrial tunnel in Los Angeles made it to safety after a portion of it collapsed Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called a blessing after they initially feared much worse.
The cave-in appears to have occurred between the tunnel boring machine 5 miles (8 kilometers) in from the sole entrance and the construction workers who were working 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) in, said Michael Chee, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which is in charge of the nearly $700 million project. The workers were about 400 feet (121 meters) underground.
Authorities were still investigating the cause, Chee said.
The workers scrambled over loose soil more than 12 feet (19.3 meters) high to reach the tunnel boring machine and then were transported back to the opening. Aerial footage showed workers being brought out of the tunnel in a yellow cage hoisted up by a crane.
None of those rescued had major injuries, authorities said.
Arally Orozco said she was at church when her phone started buzzing with calls and then her son texted her the news of the tunnel where her three brothers worked.
“It was sad and scary,” she said in Spanish. “We feared the worst.”
After an hour, she managed to get through to one brother who told her they had to squeeze through a tight space to get out.
“My brother was crying,” she said. “He told me he thought he was going to die underground.”
LA City Councilmember Tim McOsker praised the workers for keeping cool heads.
“This is a highly technical, difficult project. And they knew exactly what to do. They knew how to secure themselves,” he said. “Thank goodness for the good people that were down in the tunnel.”
Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference that she met with some of the workers.
“I know when we raced down here I was so concerned that we were going to find tragedy. Instead, what we found was victory,” Bass said. “All of the men that were in that tunnel, rescued, up, safe.”
The tunnel is being constructed almost entirely underneath public right-of-way. The structure is 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide and will be 7 miles (11.3 kilometers) long to carry treated wastewater from across Los Angeles County to the Pacific Ocean.
Work will not resume until the project contractor assesses what happened and deems the site safe, authorities said.
China flexes blockade capabilities near Taiwan on second day of military drills
China's People's Liberation Army is staging a second day of large-scale military drills around Taiwan. It's unleashing live-fire exercises as part of what it calls "Justice Mission 2025."
Policy relief for family caregivers seems stalled out. But there are signs of change
Family members carry the burden and costs of caring for America's aging population. Federal policy change is slow to come but a new movement and state actions are building momentum.
Federal appeals court judge is accused of bullying her clerks
The Legal Accountability Project complaint, which has not been previously reported, states that it is based on conversations with multiple former law clerks.
How Alabama Power has left the ‘American Amazon’ at risk
As its polluting coal ash ponds remain in groundwater, Alabama Power has doubled down on fossil fuel energy investments.
How George Wallace and Bull Connor set the stage for Alabama’s sky-high electric rates
After his notorious stand in the schoolhouse door, Wallace needed a new target. He found it in Alabama Power.
FIFA president defends World Cup ticket prices, saying demand is hitting records
The FIFA President addressed outrage over ticket prices for the World Cup by pointing to record demand and reiterating that most of the proceeds will help support soccer around the world.
