Society

Trapped workers in collapsed tunnel feared dead

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-17 11:03

BINYANG, Guangxi - The 10 workers who have been trapped in a collapsed railway tunnel in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region for six days were feared dead, rescuers said Saturday.

Related readings:  New cave-ins disrupt rescue from collapsed tunnel in S China  Rescue of 10 trapped in collapsed tunnel progresses slowly  10 workers alive after 30 hours in collapsed tunnel  Sounds of 10 trapped heard from tunnel in SW China

Rescuers finished digging a passageway leading to the collapsed tunnel at 4 am, but found no sign of life in the debris, the emergency rescue headquarters in Binyang said.

After the tunnel first collapsed at around 4 pm last Sunday, the workers were stranded in a space about 8 meters long.

Until Tuesday, all were in good condition and were able to communicate with rescuers through paper notes passed through the ventilation holes.

Rescuers also sent water, milk and flashlights to the trapped workers.

But two new cave-ins on Wednesday cut off all their contacts.

The collapsed tunnel was being built by the No 18 Bureau of the China Railway Group Ltd. Workers had dug 300 meters of the 800-meter tunnel when the accident happened.

The tunnel is on a new rail route connecting Guangxi's capital Nanning with Litang, an industrial town.