Nepal Tunnel Rescue: Two Workers Found After Nine Days
In a miraculous turn of events, rescue teams in Nepal have successfully extracted two workers from a submerged hydropower tunnel. The men, who had…
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In a miraculous turn of events, rescue teams in Nepal have successfully extracted two workers from a submerged hydropower tunnel. The men, who had been trapped for nine days following a catastrophic flash flood, were pulled from the debris-filled main tunnel at the Trishuli 3A construction site early Friday morning. This rare success has renewed hopes that additional survivors may still be located within the vast network of tunnels buried by the disaster.
The incident occurred in the aftermath of a devastating deluge that swept through Himalayan valleys, triggered by the partial collapse of a glacier. The resulting torrent of water, rock, and mud claimed the lives of over 1,200 people, causing widespread destruction across numerous local communities.
A Dramatic Rescue
Video footage released by the Ministry of Energy captured the emotional scene as the first worker emerged through a small, muddy opening. He was immediately assisted by emergency personnel and carried toward a waiting helicopter. A second survivor, visibly caked in mud, was seen pressing his hands together in prayer while being transported away on a stretcher.
Nepal’s minister of home affairs, Sudan Gurung, officially identified the survivors as 30-year-old mechanical foreman Sanjay Shah and 45-year-old mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan. Following their extraction, both men were placed under medical care before being transported to a hospital in Kathmandu for urgent treatment.
The relief felt by the families was palpable.
“I am so happy, my heart is lighter,”
said Amir Maharjan, the brother of the rescued supervisor, upon hearing the news of his sibling’s survival.
Ongoing Search Efforts
The Nepali Army confirmed that while these two men have been saved, extensive search and rescue operations remain active. The scale of the tragedy is immense, with at least 557 workers still reported missing from the Trishuli 3A project alone. It is estimated that approximately 115 individuals were trapped specifically within the facility’s main tunnel when the floodwaters struck on August 26.
According to an army spokesperson, one of the survivors provided critical intelligence, suggesting that others may still be alive inside the tunnel system. This testimony has galvanized rescue teams, who continue to work under difficult conditions to locate those missing.
Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina expressed the government’s commitment to the ongoing efforts, stating that officials remain hopeful that more workers will be found. The search continues across regions impacted by the disaster, which has left more than 5,000 people missing in Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet.
International Cooperation
While Nepal has primarily relied on its own internal resources, it has begun to accept targeted international assistance. On Friday, a 15-member team of Australian drone specialists arrived in the country. Composed mainly of state emergency operatives, this specialized unit is assisting local authorities in surveying the difficult terrain and providing aerial support to the rescue operations as the search for survivors enters its second week.
