Boring Company Halts Las Vegas Tunnel Work After Worker Suffers 'Crushing Injury'
Emergency crews extract injured employee as Nevada OSHA opens inquiry and tunneling is paused pending investigation
The Boring Company temporarily halted tunneling operations in Las Vegas on Wednesday night after a worker sustained what first responders described as a "crushing injury," authorities and media reports said.
Emergency crews were dispatched to a construction site along Paradise Road at about 10:12 p.m. for an industrial machinery incident, the Clark County Fire Department told reporters. An 18-person rescue team used an on-site crane to lift the injured worker from the tunnel and the employee was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, according to the fire department and media accounts.
Tunnel-boring work at the site has been paused pending an investigation, and Nevada Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) confirmed it opened an inquiry after being notified by the company. The Boring Company did not immediately provide a public comment; media reports said the Daily Mail reached out for comment.
The incident occurred on a project that aims to extend The Boring Company’s underground transit network toward Harry Reid International Airport as part of a long-term plan to build roughly 68 miles of tunnels beneath Las Vegas. The firm began operating a 1.5-mile loop under the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2021 and has since expanded its footprint to about 3.5 miles, connecting the convention center to nearby hotels including the Wynn and Encore Resorts.
The Las Vegas projects have drawn scrutiny over worker safety and regulatory compliance. Investigations by Fortune, ProPublica and Bloomberg have reported multiple worker injuries and regulatory citations tied to Boring Company tunneling work in the city. In one earlier incident, the Las Vegas Monorail briefly closed after crews tunneled near its foundation, according to reporting.
The Boring Company’s initial public pitch for the system described high-speed, autonomous pods intended to carry 16 passengers at speeds above 600 miles per hour. In practice, current operations have used standard Tesla vehicles with human safety drivers and speeds closer to 35 miles per hour, according to company disclosures and reporting.
In response to prior safety concerns, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which oversees the convention center, appointed an employee to monitor The Boring Company’s work directly. The authority’s chief executive told reporters earlier this year that he was not aware of any major safety issues since that oversight change.
The company is also awaiting city permits to construct a tunnel beneath Las Vegas Boulevard within city limits and has begun preparations for a separate tunnel system in Nashville. Regulators and local officials have continued to review the projects as construction proceeds.
Nevada OSHA’s investigation will determine whether state workplace-safety rules were violated in the incident. The agency did not immediately release details about the scope or timeline of its inquiry. The injured worker’s identity and exact injuries were not released by authorities.
The pause in tunneling reflects an immediate safety response while authorities and the company assess the incident and potential causes. Previous reporting and regulatory records show a pattern of safety issues cited around the company’s Las Vegas tunneling activity, prompting heightened oversight from local agencies and partners.
Further developments, including findings from Nevada OSHA and any company statements, will likely inform whether work resumes at the Paradise Road site and what measures may be required to prevent similar incidents.