A partial tunnel collapse in Los Angeles left dozens of workers trapped about 400 feet below ground. They all survived

KABC, CNN

By Kathleen Magramo, Alaa Elassar, Stephanie Elam, Norma Galeana, CNN

Thirty-one men working on a tunnel about 400 feet beneath the ground in Los Angeles were operating a machine to carve through the earth.

Without warning, a portion of the tunnel collapsed around them Wednesday night.

Trapped five miles from the tunnel’s only entry and exit point, the men scrambled to escape.

The tunnel, roughly 18 feet wide and seven miles long, had been under construction for years as part of a complex municipal wastewater project, one that demands highly skilled workers capable of managing intricate technical challenges – and responding effectively to potential emergencies.

As anxiety gripped officials, families and loved ones, rescue teams raced against time to reach the men.

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