At least 11 people are trapped underground after a gas outburst in a tunnel under construction in Dafang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred at around 2:50 p.m. in a 2,548 meter-long tunnel intended to hold a high-speed rail line.
At least 12 people were injured in the incident and 12 others were trapped in the tunnel. One of them was rescued and sent to hospital immediately.
Rescuers are now searching for the missing people.
The tunnel under construction on February 28, 2017./Guizhou Metropolitan Daily Photo
The Qishanyan tunnel was part of the Chengdu-Guiyang High speed Railway. As it cuts through a coal strata, the tunnel was assessed as high-risk due to difficulties in construction caused by gas and karst, according to an earlier report by Guizhou Metropolitan Daily. The tunnel was expected to be completed in May, said the report.
(CGTN's reporter Liu Yang contributed to the story.)
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