Thirty-one employees were rescued safely on Wednesday when an industrial tunnel collapsed in Wilmington, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) reported. The collapse happened within the Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel that is being built as part of the enormous $630.5 million Clearwater Project.
The LAFD rolled out a massive emergency response, sending more than 100 staff members, including all of its elite Urban Search and Rescue units, to the location on the 1700 block of South Figueroa Street. The collapse occurred almost 6 miles into the tunnel and approximately 450 feet below ground level, making rescue attempts very difficult.
Despite the conditions, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed all 31 employees were escorted out with no apparent injuries. They had to walk over a pile of dirt about 12 to 15 feet high in order to get out of the damaged part of the tunnel.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted updates on social media, stating, “I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Gratitude to all of our courageous first responders who responded immediately. You are L.A.’s real heroes.”
In another entry, she further stated, “The Los Angeles City has dispatched resources to the tunnel collapse at Wilmington. Over 100 LAFD responders have been deployed, including Urban Search and Rescue teams. Gratitude to all of those who are responding immediately to address this emergency.”
The 7-mile-long, 18-foot-wide tunnel under construction by Flatiron Dragados is part of L.A. County’s move to replace its outdated wastewater system. It will be used to replace tunnels that were built in 1937 and 1958. L.A. County Sanitation District documents from July 2024 indicated that the tunnel construction would be completed by April 2025, with the entire Clearwater Project set to be completed in 2027. The new tunnel is set to be operational by January 2028.