News

Actions

DOT worker sent to Shock Trauma after underground tunnel collapse

Posted at 12:23 PM, Jul 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-09 14:23:40-04

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE, MD (WMAR) — A DOT worker was sent to University of Maryland Shock Trauma after a fire and partial collapse while working underground.

Monday afternoon a man was doing electrical work in one of the vaults by Pratt and Howard streets when a fire broke out and the tunnel began to collapse. The man was immediately taken to Shock Trauma in serious condition.

Now, officials are working to make sure the area is safe. To do so, they closed down both the rail line as well as surrounding roads.

David McMillan, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, said they’re continuing to be focused on the public safety.

“There’s a desire to maintain continuity of operations, but at the same time we need to focus on public safety,” said McMillan. “We’re making decisions about how we’re able to approach in terms of the speed of this, who needs to be on scene and the approach for repairing both the collapse of the manhole vault but also what’s going on with the tunnel.”

As of Monday night, the Light Rail is closed between North Avenue and Camden with Howard and Pratt Street shut down for a few blocks in both directions.

Crews are still investigating exactly what caused the collapse.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.