Rescuers are continuing efforts to extricate 12 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel at the Da Dang-Da Chomo Hydropower Plant in Lam Dong since December 16. Company officials said the workers were hungry and cold, but in good health.
Two-way radio contact had confirmed the 12 workers were uninjured and rescue teams had managed to get them milk, sausage, soup and oxygen.
Milk is being sent through a small pipe to the trapped workers.
A larger pipe was being driven down to where the workers are trapped to make it easier for rescue workers to supply the 11 men and one woman while they work to remove debris from the collapsed section of tunnel, which is about 500 metres from the tunnel entrance.
Song Da 505 Corporation reported a six-metre section of tunnel had collapsed, trapping the workers.More than one hundred police, rescue workers and emergency workers were quickly on the scene and managed to drive a 60-centimetre pipe through the rubble, initially pumping in oxygen to prevent the men from suffocating before using it to excavate rubble.
Heavy rains and difficult terrain has forced rescuers to work slowly to prevent any further collapse.
It took rescuers nearly four hours to locate the position of the trapped workers in the tunnel, and concrete sections are being cut away to facilitate their release.
Colonel Hoang Cong Thao from the provincial police said rescue work will continue until the workers can be freed.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent a message saying all necessary measures would be taken to rescue the workers.
The Da Dang-Da Chromo Hydropower Plant cost VND475 trillion and was funded through Build-Own-Operate scheme.
