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Rimutaka tunnel collapse, 1952

Rimutaka tunnel collapse, 1952

An interior view of the Rimutaka rail tunnel showing the rock fall of 9 September 1952. Of the 27 men initially trapped, all but one, 20-year-old Greek migrant Athanasassios Athanassiaddes, were rescued within nine hours. It took more than 30 hours to get the unfortunate Athanassiaddes out. He died in hospital later that evening.

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: EP/1952/4276-G
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page: 'Rimutaka tunnel collapse, 1952', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/rimutaka-tunnel-collapse-1952, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 8-Feb-2011

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