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2w ago

All 31 Workers Rescued After Wilmington Tunnel Collapse

All 31 workers were hoisted to safety in a crane-lifted cage by LAFD Urban Search and Rescue teams responding to a six-mile-in underground collapse, triggering an investigation into the tunnel’s structural integrity.

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters are seen at the site of an industrial tunnel collapse in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles on July 9, 2025. 31 workers were safely removed from the tunnel without visible injuries, the LAFD said on July 9. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)
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Overview

  • More than 100 LAFD responders including confined-space specialists entered the 450-foot-deep tunnel after a section gave way miles from its sole access shaft.
  • Video footage showed workers securing themselves inside a yellow rescue cage that was lifted by crane in multiple trips after communication lines were severed.
  • Mayor Karen Bass provided on-site briefings as paramedics assessed all personnel and confirmed that none of the 31 rescued workers suffered injuries.
  • The collapse occurred at the $630.5 million Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel project, a key wastewater upgrade whose tunneling phase is due for completion this year.
  • County sanitation engineers and city inspectors have begun analyzing soil conditions and support structures to determine the cause of the partial collapse.