Thai authorities have confirmed the tragic deaths of three foreign workers who were trapped in a collapsed tunnel for over five days, despite exhaustive rescue efforts. The victims, identified as two Chinese nationals and one Myanmar citizen, were working on the Thailand-China high-speed railway project when the tunnel they were in collapsed last Saturday due to a landslide.
Victims Identified, Cause of Death Revealed
The deceased workers were named as Hu Siang Min, a Chinese project supervisor, Dong Chinlin, a Chinese backhoe driver, and a truck driver from Myanmar, whose identity has not yet been confirmed. Preliminary investigations suggest that the workers likely died from asphyxiation caused by a lack of oxygen, according to officials. The bodies of the victims were found approximately 25 meters from the point of the tunnel collapse.
Challenging Rescue Efforts
The collapse, which occurred at around 23:40 local time (16:40 GMT), triggered a large-scale rescue operation involving teams from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and a specialized Chinese disaster response team. Rescuers worked tirelessly for more than a week, battling treacherous conditions to reach the trapped foreign workers. The ongoing landslide complicated the operation, with debris and dirt constantly refilling the holes dug by the rescuers. Advanced scanners and sniffer dogs detected faint signs of life during the operation, but the harsh conditions made progress slow.
Efforts to pump oxygen into the tunnel were made, but it remains unclear if the tubes successfully reached the trapped foreign workers. The rescue teams also had to exercise extreme caution to prevent further tunnel collapses during the operation.
Official Response and Investigation
Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s caretaker Interior Minister, acknowledged the limitations faced by the rescue teams due to the challenging engineering conditions. “Nobody wanted this incident to happen. We did not only try to save the lives of the victims, but we also had to ensure the safety of the rescuers and workers,” he stated during a press conference on Friday.
In the wake of the incident, the state railway company extended its condolences to the victims’ families and assured that it would provide support to them. Following the tragedy, Thai authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the tunnel collapse. All construction activities near the site have been temporarily halted as the investigation continues.