Rescue efforts intensify for rail tunnel trapped Thai workers

Rescue teams are working tirelessly to save three workers trapped inside the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima. Ekkarat Sriarayanphong, Chief of the Governor’s Office of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), provided an update on the situation yesterday, August 27, detailing the efforts being made to reach the workers.

Teams are carefully digging through the collapsed section of the tunnel under expert supervision to prevent further incidents. A significant portion of the collapsed earth had been removed by 5pm on Sunday, August 25, and an air pipe was being inserted to pump oxygen into the area where the workers were believed to be trapped. Only 20 metres remained to be cleared.

Acting Deputy Minister of Transport Surapong Piyachote expressed full support for the ongoing rescue efforts. He emphasised that worker safety is the top priority and has ordered strict safety measures to be implemented across all construction projects.

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum is closely monitoring the situation. He has coordinated with the Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR Thailand), which has employed radar scanning tools to detect the vital signs of the three workers, suggesting they are alive.

“We are doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of these workers.”

The Disaster Response Association of Thailand reported yesterday that the USAR team, along with K9 units, has located the position of a buried excavator and truck. Efforts are ongoing to reach these vehicles as the rescue operation continues, reported Pattaya News.

Photo courtesy of Pattaya News

ORIGINAL STORY: Workers found alive under collapsed tunnel at rail construction site

Three workers have been found alive under a collapsed tunnel at the high-speed rail construction site between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to retrieve them from 6 metres beneath the debris.

The incident occurred yesterday, August 25, at the high-speed rail tunnel construction site between the Janthuek and Klong Khananchit stations in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima. The collapse happened inside the third tunnel, which spans 1.5 kilometres, approximately 600 metres from the entrance. The tunnel caved in on a vehicle and three workers around midnight.

Following the collapse, construction company officials have been continuously searching for the missing workers. The district chief of Pak Chong, Kanatshanom Sricharoen and local government officials, including Kris Phunkasem, head of the Nakhon Ratchasima Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, have been actively monitoring the rescue efforts.

The Provincial Governor, Chaiwat Chuenkosum, also visited the site with the provincial police chief, Narongrit Dansuwan, to oversee the rescue operations. A command centre has been established at the Klong Khananchit railway station to coordinate the rescue efforts.

Rescue teams have been using pulse-detection equipment to locate the missing workers, believed to be trapped under the tunnel debris for over 24 hours. Officials have been praying for the workers’ survival.

According to the authorities on-site, the tunnel excavation involved removing three soil layers before installing support beams. During the excavation, soil from the first and second layers suddenly collapsed, burying two trucks and the workers.

Closely monitoring

Kanatshanom, who is directing the rescue operations, checked on the progress within the tunnel at 11pm. He informed the media at 4am today that Chaiwat, the provincial governor, has been closely following the situation.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department provided radar scanning equipment, which arrived at midnight and was immediately put to use. The equipment detected the vital signs of the three trapped workers.

Kanatshanom confirmed that pulse-detection equipment had arrived and was being used inside the tunnel. Throughout the night, rescue teams, including those with excavators, worked to remove the soil.

At 4.30am today, the equipment detected the workers’ pulses approximately 6 metres beneath the debris, indicating they were still alive. Ambulances and medical teams from Pak Chong Nana Hospital are on standby at the tunnel entrance.

The three missing workers include a Chinese supervisor, Hu Xiangmin, an excavator operator, Dong Xinlin, and an unidentified Burmese truck driver. Rescue teams work around the clock to safely extract them from the collapsed tunnel.

Emergency personnel remain on-site to provide immediate medical assistance once the workers are rescued. The efforts are ongoing, and the situation remains critical as rescuers strive to bring the workers to safety, reported KhaoSod.