The remains of two Chinese nationals, trapped inside a collapsed train tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima since August 24th, were recovered this afternoon and have been taken to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital for identification.
This morning, Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum told the media that he had received a report from the rescue team at about 6am, informing him that the two missing Chinese nationals, a supervisor and an excavator driver, had been found dead inside the collapsed tunnel.
He added that the remains of the two victims could not be removed from the collapsed tunnel due to obstructions. The remains of a Burmese worker was recovered yesterday and taken to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital for identification and autopsy.
The tunnel is under construction as part of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project, running from Nong Khai to Bangkok.
The governor said that the rescue operations have already been called off and most of the rescue workers have been withdrawn from the tunnel in Pak Chong district.
The rescue workers are reported to have worked throughout last night to locate the two Chinese nationals, but had encountered many obstacles, including concrete blocks and boulders, blocking access to the victims’ locations.
The 126-hour rescue operation began not long after it was reported that the ceiling of the tunnel had caved in, at 11.40pm on August 14th.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was scheduled to visit the tunnel at about 9am this morning.
