In a rare moment of hope amid Nepal’s flood disaster, rescuers have pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel nine days after a deadly surge of water, ice, rocks and mud devastated the Trishuli River Valley.
The survivors, identified as Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were rescued from a tunnel connected to the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station on Friday. Their rescue came after teams reportedly heard voices coming from inside the blocked structure.
Survivors Taken for Medical Treatment
Sah, who worked as a mechanical foreman with the Nepal Electricity Authority, was found with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor at the hydropower project, was reportedly unable to move his limbs when rescued.
Both men received immediate medical assistance and were being transferred to a hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment.
The Nepal tunnel rescue has offered desperately needed relief to their families and renewed hope that more missing workers could still be alive inside underground chambers or air pockets.
Rescue Teams Face Dangerous Conditions
The catastrophic floods struck the region on August 26 after what authorities believe was a glacier collapse. The resulting torrent swept through the valley near Nepal’s border with Tibet, burying communities and damaging several hydropower projects.
Rescue teams have been working through thick mud, unstable debris and blocked tunnel entrances. Heavy machinery and helicopters have been deployed, while engineers have shared tunnel layouts and technical information to help responders navigate the underground structures.
Around 900 workers associated with affected hydropower projects remain missing, according to reports, with hundreds feared trapped inside tunnels. The two men are believed to be the first workers rescued alive from the tunnels since the disaster.
A Powerful Sign of Hope
Finding survivors after nine days has delivered an emotional boost to teams operating in extremely difficult conditions. It also suggests that protected sections of the tunnel may have created spaces where workers could survive despite the devastation outside.
Search operations are continuing as families wait anxiously for information about their missing relatives. While the scale of the tragedy remains enormous, the survival of Sah and Maharjan has shown that hope has not completely disappeared beneath the debris.