Thai rescuers detect signs of life in collapsed high-speed rail tunnel

Rescue teams detected signs of life on Wednesday from three workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel for Thailand’s high-speed rail project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, offering a glimmer of hope nearly four days after the incident. 

Suriya Juangroongruangkit, acting deputy prime minister and transport minister, told reporters that rescuers had heard from the three workers – two Chinese citizens and a Myanmar national. 

“Based on the reports we’ve received, there was knocking on the wall, and there was a response. We’re trying to send milk in there. The knocking indicates that people are in that area, likely near the backhoe where the Myanmar worker is,” Suriya said.

The tunnel for the high-speed railway, which is part of the Thai-Chinese railway initiative and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, caved in early Sunday, trapping the three workers.

As of late Wednesday, they were still stuck about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from the entrance of the two-km (1.25-mile) tunnel in Pak Chong, a district of Nakhon Ratchasima, about 300 km (186 miles) from Bangkok. 

RELATED STORIES

Laos, Thailand mark first direct passenger train between Bangkok, Vientiane

Beijing says construction of multibillion-dollar China-Thailand rail must be sped up

Thailand Greenlights $400MN Spending Hike for Sino-Built High-Speed Rail Project 

Thailand Signs Multibillion Dollar Deal for High-Speed Rail 

The missing workers have been identified as Hu Xiang Min, a Chinese site supervisor; Tong Qinlin, a Chinese backhoe operator; and an unidentified Myanmar truck driver.

Rescue efforts have been complicated by the risk of additional cave-ins. 

“We hope it doesn’t rain, as we fear it could cause further collapse,” Suriya said.

As of 9 p.m. local time, the three remain trapped in the tunnel, according to authorities.

Nakhon Ratchasima Gov. Chaiwat Chuenkosum said he had listened to geologists, engineers and rescue teams from Thailand and China, adding that all were working to ensure the safety of those trapped inside.

“The engineers are focused on creating a safe environment so that rescue teams, doctors and nurses can work safely. The geologists provide information about the soil layers, indicating what can and cannot be done. When these three professions coordinate, it gives the workers confidence that they are on the right path,” Chaiwat said.

The high-speed rail project linking Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, is a component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious program by Beijing to build a network of highways, bridges, ports, railways and other infrastructure to connect the People’s Republic to other regions of the globe.  

Budgeted at 179 billion baht ($5.2 billion), the railway is a collaboration between the Thai and Chinese governments. The project began construction in 2017. 

It aims to connect with Laos’ high-speed rail network in Vientiane, extending China’s influence in Southeast Asia. Authorities said nearly one-third of the project had been completed for the rail line, which is expected to be operational in 2028. 

Krichanont Iyapunya, a transport ministry spokesman, told reporters on Monday that the incident occurred when sandstone from the mountain flowed into the tunnel. 

“We’re mobilizing people and equipment to assist closely. This incident is still within the construction area and doesn’t affect the general public,” Krichanont said. 

Stricter safety measures

The transport ministry plans to implement stricter measures for future construction projects. 

“We’re creating a contractor’s record book to monitor safety, punctuality, and accidents in their previous projects. Any mistakes will affect their chances in future bids,” Krichanont said. 

The tunnel is part of a section overseen by Nawarat Patanakarn Public Co. Ltd. The high-speed rail project, using Chinese-made Fuxing Hao trains, is designed to reduce travel time between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima to 1 hour and 17 minutes from about five hours currently. 

As rescue efforts continue, authorities have installed equipment to scan for vital signs and are working on inserting 1.2-meter diameter pipes into the tunnel to provide air and to potentially extract the trapped workers.