About 150 cubic metres of rocks completely block the tunnel. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — 200 workers and many vehicles have been deployed to remove the mass of rocks at Đèo Cả Tunnel but not yet fully rendered it passable as rocks continue to fall.

That was said by Lê Quang Vinh, director of Phú Khánh Railway Operation Branch, in his briefing with Kinh tế và Đô thị newspaper this morning.

The incident happened at 12.45pm on Friday when about 150 cubic metres of rocks from the ceiling of Đèo Cả Tunnel collapsed onto the tracks, completely blocking the tunnel entrance.

The ceiling collapse forced the SE8 train carrying 300 passengers departing from Sài Gòn Station to stop at Giã Station in Khánh Hòa and the SE5 train carrying 350 passengers from Hà Nội to halt at Tuy Hòa Station in Phú Yên.

By the time of the briefing, about 120 cubic metres of fallen rocks have been removed from the tunnel.

"We are working hard to remove the debris, but we cannot say when the clearing work will be completed," said Vinh.

He said the biggest challenge was the narrow tunnel with limited lighting, requiring careful worker positioning to ensure safety amid potential further collapse risks.

In the meantime, northbound trains must stop at Giã Station, while southbound trains halt at Tuy Hòa Station. Passengers on those trains will be transferred between the two stations on buses. — VNS