Two workers have been rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, nine days after devastating floods swept through the Trishuli River valley, killing more than 1,200 people and leaving thousands missing.
The men, identified as mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, were pulled from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station on Friday.
The rescue came after rescuers heard faint voices from inside the tunnel and intensified efforts to clear mud and debris blocking access to the facility.
Authorities and rescue teams said the August 26 glacier collapse near the upper Trishuli River trapped hundreds of workers inside tunnels linked to hydropower projects. Nearly 900 workers are reported missing across 12 projects, while about 500 are believed to be trapped underground.
Nepal’s disaster has killed at least 1,259 people, while more than 5,000 remain missing, according to the latest reports. The floods devastated communities near the border with China-controlled Tibet, sweeping away homes, roads and other infrastructure and displacing tens of thousands of people.
China has separately confirmed 21 deaths in Tibet, while 541 people remain unaccounted for, authorities said.
Sah and Maharjan are the first workers known to have been rescued from the hydropower tunnels following the disaster. They were found about 170 metres inside the tunnel.
Images released by Nepali authorities showed one of the workers being pulled through an opening in the ground as rescuers and onlookers cheered. Sah was later carried to a rescue tent, covered in mud, where Nepal Army medical personnel examined him and checked his vital signs.
Officials said Sah’s injuries were not critical, while Maharjan was unable to move his hands and legs. Both men were taken to Kathmandu for further medical treatment.
Maharjan’s brother, Amir, said the family had not yet received official confirmation when he spoke to Reuters but had been instructed to go to the hospital.
He said the family was overjoyed after hearing reports that Kabir had been found alive.
The rescue has renewed hopes of finding more survivors as teams continue searching the damaged hydropower facilities using heavy machinery, helicopters and specialist technical assistance.
Rescue efforts remain focused on tunnels where workers may have survived in air pockets despite being trapped for more than a week. Officials say the search will continue as teams work to reach people who may still be alive underground.
Goodness Anunobi
Follow us on:
