Man Rescued After 13 Hours Trapped in Collapsed South Korea Subway Tunnel
- Victor Nwoko
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Rescue workers in South Korea have successfully saved a man who was trapped for more than 13 hours in the rubble of a collapsed subway tunnel construction site. The incident occurred in Gwangmyeong, a city located approximately eight miles southwest of Seoul.
According to officials from the Gwangmyeong Fire Department, the man was found nearly 100 feet underground after the tunnel collapsed on Friday, April 11. He was conscious when reached by rescue workers early on Saturday, April 12, and was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Efforts are ongoing to locate another person still believed to be trapped inside the tunnel. Among the individuals trapped was an excavator operator who managed to briefly communicate with rescue teams via phone.
At the time of the collapse, the tunnel was under construction, and officials had already ordered workers to evacuate the site due to concerns about a ventilation shaft that was at risk of collapsing. Traffic was also halted in the surrounding area as a precaution.
The initial collapse occurred at approximately 3:13 p.m. on Friday and caused the road above the tunnel to cave in as well. A total of 17 workers were present at the site conducting a safety inspection after receiving reports of land subsidence near the construction zone. At around 12:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, workers reported a structural failure of tunnel supports about 98 feet underground and noted hearing “suspicious sounds” from within the site.
In the immediate aftermath, authorities were unable to contact five of the workers, though three were later confirmed to be safe. The presence of a strong gas odor near the site has further complicated rescue operations, prompting officials to request the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to shut off supply to a nearby pipeline.
Three large cranes have been deployed as part of the rescue effort, and dozens of emergency personnel are working around the clock to locate the remaining trapped worker. An official stated that the rescue operation is expected to take significant time due to the complexity of the situation.
Gwangmyeong, part of the densely populated Gyeonggi Province and the greater Seoul metropolitan area, remains under investigation as authorities seek to determine the exact cause of the collapse. Nearby roads remain closed to traffic as safety assessments continue.
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