Just one metre separates a railway worker trapped in a collapsed tunnel from the men working to save him and his two colleagues.
One of the 3 men trapped when a train tunnel collapsed in northeast Thailand, is just a metre from rescue workers. Rescuers continue to dig through rubble in a bid to reach the men.
The tunnel in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima collapsed at around 11.30pm on Saturday night, August 24.
The collapsed portion is around 1.5 kilometres from the tunnel entrance. It’s part of a high-speed rail project that will connect Bangkok and Nong Khai province, on the Laos border, and is expected to be complete in 2028.
Nakhon Ratchasima governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum says rescue workers are steadily getting closer to the trapped men. The operation is being carried out with great care, as soil and rocks continue to be dislodged and fall, prompting concern for both the trapped men and those working to save them.
Chaiwat says reinforcing supports are being used to shore up the tunnel and prevent any further collapse. He adds that the amount of soil that has fallen has created open holes overhead, allowing sunlight through.
“We hope that the vehicles (trapped in the collapsed tunnel) provide a space that protects the 3 men. Workers in such places receive training in how to survive in the event of a collapse.”
As scanners continue to pick up the vital signs of all 3 men, rescue workers remain optimistic. The latest scan shows that one of the trapped men is just a metre away from the rescuer workers. Another is around 4 metres away and the third man is around 8 metres away.
Two of the men are Chinese and the third is Burmese.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
