Los Angeles tunnel accident: At least 15 tunnel workers trapped in tunnel collapse

Los Angeles: According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), an industrial tunnel collapsed in the Wilmington district on Wednesday night, trapping up to 15 underground workers.

The firemen said the collapse may occur “as many as six miles south” from the tunnel’s only entrance point. As of 12:05 a.m. Thursday morning ET, over 100 firemen had been sent to the location, and no casualties had been reported.

The recovery operation involves firefighters who are “specially trained, certified, and equipped to handle confined space tunnel rescues” as part of the search and rescue team.

In a revised alert, the LAFD said that “Excessive noise from media helicopters above the rescue site is interfering with the ability of rescue personnel to effectively communicate face-to-face or via radio at ground level.”

According to LAFD, the incident commander asked the media to stay no more than a mile away from the Figueroa Street and Lomita Boulevard junction.

A public information officer is on his way to the location and should be briefing the media soon, the department also informed Newsweek over the phone.