Thirty-one workers were rescued after they became trapped inside a Los Angeles tunnel that collapsed Wednesday night, officials said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported that all workers who were trapped “are now out and accounted for.”
“I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped,” she said on X. “Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately. You are L.A.’s true heroes.”
I’m on the ground here in Wilmington being briefed on this emergency.
Thank you again to all our first responders working to get Angelenos to safety. pic.twitter.com/Wccnvf4Ego— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 10, 2025
The Los Angeles Fire Department had sent out a media advisory shortly before 8 p.m. PDT stating that as many as 15 tunnel workers were reported “isolated” by a collapsed industry tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area. The number of trapped workers was later increased to 31.
“Thirty-one persons, all believed to be tunnel workers, have been safely removed from the tunnel alive without visible injury,” the LAFD said in an update. “None are missing.”
The tunnel had a diameter of 18 feet and was being constructed for municipal wastewater management.
The collapse occurred about 5 to 6 miles south of the entry point, with preliminary LAFD reports stating the trapped workers were able “to scramble with some effort” over up to 15 feet of loose soil to meet co-workers on the other side of the collapse.
LAFD said the workers were then “shuttled” several at a time via a tunnel vehicle to the entry point.
More than 100 LAFD responders were assigned to the rescue mission, it said.
This is a developing story.
