CHANGSHA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers on Saturday night pulled out three railway workers to safety, ending an eight-day rescue operation in a collapsed tunnel in Hunan province.` All the three workers were in good condition, rescuers said.

They were trapped when a part of Hongling Tunnel, an under-construction section of the Hukun (Shanghai-Kunming) Railway, collapsed in Xinhua county of Loudi city on June 30.

Three professional rescue groups with about 700 members have been allocated to the rescue. Food and water have been sent through ventilation tubing after rescuers got in touch with the workers.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.