Rescuers are working hard to drain water from the collapsed tunnel section where 12 workers were trapped at the construction site of Da Dang-Da Chomo hydropower plant in Central Highlands Lam Dong province.

At about 6:00 am on December 18, the rescue forces successfully drilled a new hole to pump water out after the water level rose to 1.2 metres in the collapsed section.

Earlier, they installed an air conduit to allow oxygen to pass and communicate with the victims, including one woman.

Through the conduit, they delivered water, milk and soup to the workers who said they are all in stable health condition but feel very cold due to the rising water level.

In addition to reinforcing the tunnel to avoid possible collapses, the rescuers enlarged the air conduit to ably contain a 70cm-diameter steel pile as a way out for the dozen trapped.

The rescue team, including 200 sappers, fight fighters, mine and construction experts and health workers, is urgently opening bigger new hoses to provide clothes and food for the victims, said Nguyen Quoc Ky, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lac Duong district.

Right after the accident, Minister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, and Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien arrived at the scene, pledging all necessary measures to be deployed to bring the victims out.

Work on the Da Dang-Dachomo plant kicked off in 2003. The 475 trillion VND (22.6 billion USD) plant, invested by the Civil Engineering Construction Corp. No. 5 (CIENCO 5), is designed to have a capacity of 22 MW.

The collapsed site is about 500 metres from the entrance of the 700m-long tunnel running though the mountain to bring water to the plant.

Thirty-two workers were in the tunnel when the collapse occurred and 20 of them were able to escape.-VNA