Water seeped in, and the rocks began to loosen.
The soil gradually became wet like a lubricant, making the looseness grow larger and larger until the surroundings could no longer hold.
Then—
Crack!
When a rock fell into the water together with the dirt,
It was like a spark striking explosives, detonating chaos and uproar!!!
"Secondary collapse! Watch out for a secondary collapse! Everyone, watch above you! Watch above you!!"
Hearing the sound of falling rocks, the construction team leader hunched over and shouted himself nearly hoarse at everyone around him, his cries ragged and desperate.
And all around him—
"Water pumps! Bring in more pumps! The water is too deep! We have to drain it!"
"Rescue team! Is there anyone left from the rescue team!? We can't dig through this side! Get someone over here!"
"Where's the rescue tunnel-boring machine!? Hasn't it arrived yet!?"
It was chaotic and urgent. Mud and rocks slid down overhead while dozens of figures worked nonstop. Seeping water, like rain, had risen past their ankles, and pipe after pipe bulged as they continuously pumped water out.
The power supply had long since been cut off. Their only illumination came from helmet lamps and rescue lights.
It was an extremely perilous rescue scene inside the pitch-black tunnel!
The construction team leader wiped muddy water from his face and looked at the rescue site ahead, where water poured down in the dark tunnel like a cave behind a waterfall.
They were the engineering team building this tunnel. Two days ago, water had suddenly begun seeping inside. They had intended to halt construction and send people in to investigate whether the cause was shifting rock strata or the recent days of heavy rain.
But the accident had still happened!
The newest section of the tunnel had collapsed,