Workers freed after tunnel collapse

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Three trapped workers were freed on Saturday (July 7), ending an eight-day rescue operation in a collapsed railway tunnel in central China's Hunan province, state media reported.

The workers were immediately brought to a nearby hospital, and were all in good condition, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The three were trapped when a part of the Hongling Tunnel, a section under construction of the Hukun Railway linking Shanghai and Kunming, collapsed in Xinhua County of Loudi city on June 30.

The section which caved in was estimated to be about 40 meters (131 feet) long, CCTV added.

The trapped workers had been kept alive with food and water sent down a ventilation tube by rescuers, 700 of whom were mobilised for the mission.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, said CCTV.