Under-construction train tunnel in NE Thailand collapses, trapping 3

[PeteC]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... trapping-3

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Rescue workers were trying to reach three people trapped inside a high-speed railway tunnel that collapsed in Pak Chong district during construction last night.

The tunnel collapsed in tambon Chan Thuek at 11.30pm on Saturday while two workers were operating a backhoe and a truck to dig the tunnel. A foreman who had just arrived in a car was the third person trapped in the tunnel. There was no rain at the time of the collapse.

The collapse location was about four kilometres from the entrance of the tunnel. Rescue workers were using excavators to reach the collapse site.

The government is building a 251 kilometre-long section of the Sino-Thai high-speed rail link between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. The section is expected to be completed in 2028.

Later officials said two of the three missing were Chinese. One was the foreman and the other was a backhoe driver. The other missing person was a Myanmar truck driver.

The Muak Lek-Lam Takhong tunnel was designed to stretch about eight kilometres. Nawarat Patanakarn Plc was contracted to build the tunnel. It was 74% completed.

[PeteC]

Khaosod English
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UPDATE 2: The three missing workers are Chinese. The incident occured 600 metres from the entrance of the tunnel and it wasn't raining at the time. A search party could not reach the site as of press time.

BREAKING: Three workers went missing after a landside occurred inside the tunnel of Thai-Chinese hi-speed train construction while the drilling of the tunnel was ongoing in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The incident occured at shortly before 11.30pm Saturday night.