A minimum of 31 employees have been rescued safely after a tunnel collapse in Wilmington, a Los Angeles suburb, on Wednesday night. The accident reportedly took place at approximately 8 p.m. when work was underway on the Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel project, NBC Los Angeles has reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has indicated that the laborers were retrieved from the underground in batches of eight through the use of a crane based at the site of construction. To date, there have been no reported injuries.
The City of Los Angeles has mobilized resources to the tunnel collapse in Wilmington,” Mayor Karen Bass posted on X. “Over 100 LAFD responders have been dispatched, including Urban Search and Rescue teams. Thank you to all of those who are taking action immediately to respond to this emergency.”
LAFD has just reported that all workers who were trapped in the tunnel in Wilmington are now out and accounted for.
I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately. You are L.A.’s true heroes. pic.twitter.com/6hdAwbH1MI
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 10, 2025
Massive Emergency Response Underway After Tunnel Collapse
The tunnel collapse occurred at the $630.5 million Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel project. The project is a wastewater management undertaking commissioned by the Los Angeles County Sanitation District. Flatiron Dragados, the project’s prime contractor, says the tunnel is roughly seven miles long and 18 feet in diameter. It is situated approximately 450 feet below ground level.
31 construction workers rescued about an hour after a tunnel collapse caused by structural failure in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/PnsVOBfnju
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) July 10, 2025
Early reports suggested that 15 workers were trapped after the collapse. LAFD officials later confirmed 31 workers had been rescued with no injuries reported. Meanwhile, footage from the scene revealed a full-scale emergency response operation, with cranes and confined space rescue units actively working on site.
“Up to 15 tunnel workers have been reported originally isolated by a ‘collapse’ in an (undetermined depth or diameter) industrial tunnel as many as six miles south of the response address, the only tunnel access,” LAFD stated in a formal release. “No injuries have been confirmed.”
The building collapsed at the corner of W. Lomita Boulevard and S. Figueroa Street in Wilmington. In response, LAFD dispatched over 100 personnel to the incident site. The team included Urban Search and Rescue units with specialized training for confined space tunnel rescues.
Project Timeline and Investigation
According to reports by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department in July 2024, tunneling was initially expected to be completed this year. Nevertheless, the entire project is set to complete in 2027. The reason behind the collapse is still under investigation and has not yet been determined. Details about the tunnel’s condition have not been reported.
