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Firefighters responded to a tunnel collapse at a construction site for a sewer system linked to the Pacific Ocean at 1700 Figueroa St. Initial reports indicated that approximately 10 workers were trapped, with communication lost. The collapse occurred miles away from the sole access point of the tunnel, complicating rescue efforts.

Rescue operations involved additional rescue and hazmat teams, specialized equipment, and drones for aerial support.  Communication with the trapped workers was re-established, and it was confirmed that 28 individuals were initially thought to be trapped, though not all were in immediate danger.

Rescue teams coordinated with on-site safety officers and the project manager to gather information and ensure the safety of the workers. Vibrations at the site were stopped to create a safer environment, and air quality monitoring was hindered due to downed Wi-Fi and fiber connections. A casualty collection point was established, and a cage mechanism was used to retrieve individuals from the tunnel.

By the end of the operation, 31 workers were rescued, though it was unclear if all were trapped or working in the area at the time of the collapse. No injuries were reported.

Workers Rescued From Collapsed Tunnel During Boring Operations

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 1701 Figueroa St.

USAR 88, Battalion 13, standby for confined space. Life Force 85, Rescue 85, Life Force 38, Engine 49, Engine 36, Rescue 112. Task Force 48, Hazmat 48, Rescue 79, Heavy Rescue 3. EMS 11, Battalion 13, USAR 85, Engine 5, USAR 88, Battalion 6, to the confined space.1701, North Figueroa, cross of Zometa, Channel 7.

Firefighters are responding to a report of a person trapped in a confined space.

Companies responding to the confined space from Light Force 38, just hold out there on Figueroa right now. Seems like there's an incident maybe far back inside this location. We're just trying to get a good location, see how we can stage vehicles. So just hold out on Fig until we get some more information.

Firefighters are assessing the situation to determine the best approach for reaching the person trapped in the confined space.

Metro, Light Force 85 is on scene, 1701 North Figueroa Street.

Firefighters are on scene assessing a tunnel collapse with approximately 10 workers trapped and communication lost.

Rescue 112, state, you're on take. Yeah, 85s, go ahead and come up, all the way up. There's going to be room for you here. We got ourselves out of the way. Roger. Rescue 38 on scene. 48, Hazmat 48 on scene, staging.

Additional rescue and hazmat teams have arrived on scene to assist with the tunnel collapse and trapped workers.

Cast Force 85 from USAR 88, 112. Go for Life Force 85. Life Force 85, if this is a tunnel and it is deeper than 300 feet, let us know so we can order up the tunnel equipment from 88. Roger, I'm pulling up, assessing right now. Give me a minute or so. Okay.

Rescue teams are assessing the tunnel depth to determine if additional specialized equipment is needed for the operation.

East R 88 from Figueroa, IC. Yeah, go for East R 88. Yeah, let's go ahead and get the tunnel rescue equipment coming. This is going to be in a tunnel. We're at the tunnel entrance right now, but they figure the collapse happened about 5 or 6 miles from this location.

Rescue teams are requesting specialized tunnel rescue equipment as the collapse is estimated to be 5-6 miles from the entrance.

North at Lumina and South at TCH. Engine 49, roger. Next unit, go. Metro from USAR, make this incident 15-33 a tunnel incident. Add task force to the tunnel. The tunnel task force is bringing the equipment. 5 to 6 miles from our location. Light Force 85 is on scene. They are...

USR 5, we're going to show you en route.Metro Engine 43, we have DOT for traffic, have them block off all traffic on north from South ETH. Tuttle, add USR 88, have them bring our Tuttle equipment. Units in the field are stepping on each other one at a time. Repeat the location you want traffic to be blocked off.Metro Engine 49, have them block off traffic on Figueroa.

Traffic is being blocked off to facilitate rescue operations, and additional task force and equipment are en route to the tunnel collapse site.

establishing USAR group and will further assess the situation. Please add one more USAR task force with the USAR rig. Task Force 88, Rescue 88, we're going to attach you to Incident 1573. Units, you are still stepping on each other. First unit requesting, I did not get your communications. I will add the additional USAR task force. Thank you.

An additional USAR task force and rig have been requested to assist with the tunnel collapse rescue operation.

Yeah, Metro from Figueroa IC, have all companies check in on TAC-2, have all companies check in on TAC-2. Units responding to the tunnel, 1701 North Figueroa. Figueroa IC is requesting all units responding check in on TAC-2, check in on TAC-2. Figueroa IC, you have 16 minutes on your incident clock, 16.

Task Force 3, U.S.R. 3, you've been added to the confined space, Battalion 1, AC2, press en route. We're going to upgrade this to a tunnel.

Figueroa IC for Metro. Figueroa IC. You have the unmanned aerials en route to your incident right now. Yeah, Metro from Figueroa IC, can you repeat? Figueroa IC, you have the drones en route to your incident right now, the unmanned aerials. Roger, drones en route.

Drones are being deployed to assist with the tunnel collapse rescue operation, providing aerial support and assessment.

Yeah, Battalion 6 from Figueroa, can you go ahead and repeat your message? I was talking to the on-site safety officer. Yeah, Light Force 38, I copy that you got, you saw Task Force 85 as rescue group. What is your task force doing now? Currently, our task force is trying to assist me with assessing the situation, getting information. They're standing by right now to assist, sorry.

Rescue teams are coordinating with on-site safety officers and standing by to assist with the tunnel collapse operation.

Metro 5 from Engine 58, go ahead. Engine 58, you're responding to La Brea, south of Veronica, a recon, some potential, correction, possible extension into the brush.

85, we're co-located together. Yeah 38, I copy that. Best intel that I have so far is that we're approximately 5 to 6 miles inside the tunnel. Communications are cut off. Do we have any additional information? IC, if you want to go ahead and make your way back here, we're currently talking to the on-site project manager and the safety officer right now, trying to get further information. If you make your way, we're going to be in the middle of the tunnel.

Rescue teams are coordinating with the on-site project manager and safety officer to gather more information inside the tunnel.

Rescue teams are deep inside the tunnel, coordinating with the project manager and safety officer to gather more information.

Metro 5, Engine 58, La Brea and Veronica, recon for Ember Castle and the Brush. Engine 58, roger.

Rescue teams continue to coordinate efforts inside the tunnel, while additional units are conducting reconnaissance for potential hazards.

Trying to get an accurate head count. What I have so far is they have a collapse right behind the TBM approximately 6 miles in. They have reached communication with them, and they're actually trying to make some access. We're determining patients and actually how many members are in right now. Yeah, rescue group. If I can.

Rescue teams have re-established communication with trapped workers and are working to determine the number of individuals affected.

Heavy Rescue 3 is coordinating with Light Force 38 at the command post near the tunnel entry to assist with operations.

is going to be making their way back to you. They'll be communicating, they'll be reporting to Rescue Group, which is Light Force 85. They're working off TAC 15. we just wanted to make sure they got to the spot we're holding for them. I'm inside now, we're working together.

IC from Rescue Group. Just talk with safety. What limited communication they have, they lost their phones, so they do not have any communication with them at this point. Yeah, Rescue Group, I copy that. No communication. Additionally, do we have a number of patients or victims inside the tunnel? They don't have, have...

Metro from Figueroa IC, we'll need a PIO and a department safety officer responding to this incident. Figueroa IC, you have a PIO en route and we'll get a department safety officer en route.

A Public Information Officer and a department safety officer are en route to assist with the tunnel collapse incident.

Yeah, I copy that. Engine 85. Do we know if the victims inside the tunnel, if they have pony packs or any type of self-contained breathing apparatus? Standby.

Rescue teams are verifying if the trapped workers have self-contained breathing apparatuses to ensure their safety inside the tunnel.

IC from Rescue Group, just contacted with Safety. They're saying inside the shaft, from the beginning of the shaft to the end, they have 28 people in the shaft right now. Copy that, 28 victims inside the shaft. Do we know which way the shaft is going, is it north, south, east, west? Shaft is going south.

Rescue teams have confirmed 28 individuals are trapped in the southward shaft and are coordinating further rescue efforts.

They're not all victims. Some of them are on the TBM, making their way to the site right now. Can you repeat that last message? How many people are we having that are not victims that are able to self-extricate? That's not confirmed. The report I got was they have 28 people. Not all of them are victims. Some of them are on the TBM going to the site. But there are 28, uh, people who are not victims.

Rescue teams have clarified that not all 28 individuals are trapped; some are on the TBM heading to the site.

Rescue group, I'm going to have Light Force 38 working for you. Rescue group, let's find out how many people are on the tunnel boring machine and get an accurate head count. Roger, I've been trying to do that since the beginning of the incident because they have no comms. It's very hard to say at this point.

Rescue group from IC, are we, have we been able to lock out, tag out, stop all the vibrations in the area? Roger, everything's shut down at the site. I'll confirm with everything with the lockout, tag out.

Rescue teams have confirmed that all vibrations at the site have been stopped, ensuring a safer environment for operations.

IC from Rescue Group. Their Wi-Fi and fiber went down with the collapse, so they are unable to monitor the air at the site.

Rescue teams report that Wi-Fi and fiber connections are down, hindering air quality monitoring at the collapse site.

Yeah, Figueroa IC from Hazmat Group. We're going to need to start getting a cache of 60-minute bottles. If we can get a pickup truck out there.

Hazmat teams are requesting a supply of 60-minute air bottles and a pickup truck to support ongoing rescue efforts.

According to CBS News, 28 people are trapped in the tunnel.

Firefighters say the collapse happened miles away from the sole access point of the tunnel.

A group has been removed from the tunnel. Additional removals are underway.

Hazmat entry team leader, Gill, where are we having our casualty collection point now? Everybody needs to come over here by the brass tag out board and where the salvage covers are.

Rescue teams have established a casualty collection point.

Emergency personnel utilized a cage mechanism to retrieve the trapped individuals.

The tunnel is a construction project for a sewer system linked to the Pacific Ocean.

Thirty-one workers were rescued from the tunnel, according to KTLA. It is unclear whether all these individuals were trapped or were working in the area at the time of the collapse.