Three Workers Died In China After Six Days Trapped In Floods

Tunnel workers (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - Three of the 14 workers trapped in a flooded highway tunnel for six days so far in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai have been found dead, local authorities said.

On July 15, water suddenly leaked into the Shijingshan tunnel, which is under construction under the reservoir, trapping workers inside more than a kilometer from the entrance.

On Monday, July 19, rescue teams found the two dead workers about 1,060 meters and 1,070 meters from the tunnel entrance, the Zhuhai government said.

Since then, the body of another worker has been retrieved. As of 8 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, rescue teams were 856.1 meters into the tunnel, or 303.9 meters from where the workers were trapped, the mayor of Zhuhai city, Huang Zhihao, said at a news conference.

The vast tunnel is still submerged underwater, although overall water levels have fallen since last week.

The accident was the second in the tunnel since March, when a wall collapsed on top of it and killed two workers.

The tunnel is part of the main expressway in the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province, which connects the coastal city with a bridge to its two neighbors, Macau and Hong Kong.