Rescuers in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, continued efforts on Wednesday to reach three workers trapped inside a collapsed train tunnel, as heavy rain and unstable conditions complicated the search. The men have been trapped since Saturday night when the tunnel, part of the Sino-Thai high-speed railway project, gave way during construction.
In an update from the incident command center at 8 p.m. on August 28, it was reported that a Chinese engineering team was continuously reinforcing the tunnel’s support structures to allow for safe access to the areas where the workers are believed to be trapped. Additionally, a large rock blocking the path to the workers was being broken up, a process estimated to take about an hour.
The USAR team detected signs of life at a depth of 1.8 meters beneath a large rock, and medical teams, rescue personnel, and police had already formulated a plan to transport the workers to a hospital once they are freed. Sensors have also been installed at three points on the tunnel ceiling to monitor for potential collapses, ensuring the safety of rescue operations.
Rescue efforts progressed on Wednesday, with teams getting within about one meter of one of the men. However, they were forced to halt their work later in the day due to heavy rain. As of 9 p.m., the trapped workers had not yet been reached, according to the Nakhon Ratchasima public relations office.
The rescue teams moved cautiously due to the unstable conditions within the under-construction tunnel, where soil and rocks continued to fall. Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum reported that the workers’ vital signs were still being detected by scanners. The safety of both rescuers and the victims remained a significant concern, necessitating reinforcing supports to stabilize the tunnel as they advanced.
“Soil is the main obstacle to the rescue mission,” Mr. Chaiwat stated, noting that the loose earth caused overhead holes to form, allowing sunlight to penetrate the tunnel on Wednesday morning. Despite these challenges, officials and rescuers remained hopeful, noting that every scan so far had detected vital signs from all three men.
“We hope that the vehicles trapped in the collapsed tunnel provide a space that protects the three men. Workers in such places receive training on how to survive in the event of a collapse,” Governor Chaiwat added.
Scans showed that rescuers were approximately 1.2 meters away from one worker, about four meters from another, and eight meters from the third. The trapped individuals include two Chinese nationals—a construction supervisor and a backhoe driver—and a Myanmar national, who is a truck driver. They have been trapped since the tunnel collapsed on Saturday night.
The tunnel is part of the Sino-Thai high-speed railway project, which aims to connect Bangkok with Nong Khai province, bordering Laos. The collapse occurred about 1.5 kilometers from the tunnel’s entrance near the Khlong Khanan Chit train station in the Pak Chong district.
Efforts to reach the men are ongoing, with officials remaining on site to monitor the situation and provide assistance as needed.
