Rescue effort intensifies in flooded tunnel

Rescuers promised not to give up their search for the 14 workers trapped since Thursday in the flooded Shijingshan Tunnel in Guangdong's Zhuhai Special Economic Zone. Scuba divers were added to the effort on Saturday.

"We will continue to spare no effort. Rescue work is still going on against the clock," said Zhang Yisheng, vice-mayor of Zhuhai, at a news conference in Zhuhai on Monday.

According to Zhang, rescuers had reached 732.9 meters into the tunnel, 427.1 m from where the workers are believed to be trapped. The workers have not yet been pinpointed or contacted, he said.

The water that flooded the tunnel after a blowout trapped the workers has dropped by 15.5 meters after several days and nights of pumping, he said.

"As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we will not give up," Zhang added.

Wang Renyi, a salvage expert with Guangzhou Salvage Bureau — China Ocean Engineering Corp's Guangzhou Branch — under the Ministry of Transport, said the bureau had sent scuba divers and special salvage experts into the tunnel on Saturday to search for and rescue the trapped workers.

Wang promised to intensify the search and rescue effort and introduce more new and high-tech technologies and equipment in the days to come.

The Shijingshan Tunnel, part of the southern section of the Zhuhai Xingye Expressway, flooded at about 3:30 am on Thursday. The tunnel that construction began in 2019 is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.