Two hydropower workers were rescued alive from a debris-filled tunnel in Nepal on Friday, emerging more than a week after catastrophic flash floods struck the Himalayan region, according to the country’s energy ministry and the Nepal Army. The dramatic extraction at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project provided a rare moment of relief amid a disaster that has left extensive destruction across mountain districts.
Rescue Operation at Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project
The two survivors were identified by Home Minister Sudan Gurung as Sanjay Shah, a 30-year-old mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a 45-year-old mechanical supervisor. Video footage released by the energy ministry showed rescuers cheering as one man emerged through a muddy opening in the ground. The video captured emergency workers helping him to his feet before carrying him toward a waiting helicopter.
A photograph from the scene showed the second worker caked in mud with his hands pressed together in prayer as rescue crews brought him away on a stretcher. According to the Nepal Army, both men received medical treatment following their extraction. The rescue unfolded as teams worked continuously to bore into tunnels blocked by hard-packed debris following the initial disaster on August 26.
International Expertise and Relentless Search Efforts
The breakthrough came after rescue teams detected faint responses from inside the blocked infrastructure. Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association who supported the operation remotely, stated that teams working at the site believed they heard a faint response from within the tunnel. Dix noted that rescuers had called out assurances to anyone trapped inside before breaking through 50 to 60 meters of debris.
The operation involved a coordinated effort among Nepali security forces and international specialists from countries including India, China, and South Korea. Officials noted that at least 12 hydropower projects were smashed during the floods, which were triggered by a rock and ice avalanche on the China-Nepal border. Search and rescue operations remain active at the Trishuli 3A site and other affected locations as teams continue looking for remaining missing workers.