Unfinished tunnel in Prague collapses

The Blanka road tunnel, which is being constructed in Prague, collapsed in two places in the early hours of Tuesday, trapping one of the workers. The excavator operator was rescued uninjured after some six hours on Tuesday morning. A spokeswoman for the Prague fire brigade said the man was taken to hospital for a check and later released. The collapses occurred in the Prague neighbourhood of Dejvice, close to the buildings of the ministries of culture and interior. The buildings were evacuated; experts are now investigating the causes of the accident and determining the level of damage sustained by nearby buildings. A spokesman for Prague city hall said the construction company was to present a report of the accident within two days.

The construction of the Blanka road tunnel, which at over 6,000 metres will be the longest in the Czech Republic, began in 2007. A year later, the tunnel collapsed under the city’s Stromovka Park, creating a large crater.

Author: Jan Richter