Two Workers Rescued Alive From Nepal Hydropower Tunnel Nine Days After Floods

Two workers trapped in a hydropower tunnel in Nepal were rescued alive on Friday, September 4, nine days after devastating floods swept the region. Mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah, 30, and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, 45, were pulled from the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant tunnel. A body was also recovered during the rescue operation. Both men were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.

In a video shared by Nepalese authorities from the hospital, Sah described spending his days trapped underground "chanting mantras to give myself hope" while hearing others trapped and calling out for help. Sah said there were some 40 to 50 people in the tunnel at the time of the incident and that he made sure to evacuate everyone else but did not get the chance to escape himself. He said there could still be other survivors on his side of the tunnel, while there could be workers on the powerhouse side who "didn't make it out in time." Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said one of the survivors told rescuers that more people were still alive inside the tunnel.

The large-scale rescue operation has involved 75 army personnel, 18 police officers and multiple experts. Rescue teams have been working around the clock using controlled blasts, excavators and earth-moving equipment amid concerns about air quality in tunnels and workers' access to drinking water. At least 557 workers are still believed to be missing from the Trishuli 3A site, with about 115 believed to be trapped in the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

More broadly, more than 900 workers are missing from about a dozen hydropower projects in Nepal, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to local officials. Rescuers have been struggling to access the hydropower projects due to remote, mountainous locations with bad weather, damaged roads, collapsed tunnel sections filled with mud and debris, and blocked entrances. Two bodies were recovered from a tunnel at the Langtang Hydropower Project in a separate rescue effort.

The disaster began on August 26 and is believed to have been set off by a high-altitude glacier collapse on the border between Nepal and China's Tibet region. At least 1,294 people were killed and more than 5,000 remain missing after the flooding. Nepal's disaster agency estimated Friday that flooding caused at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees ($2.5 billion) in damage to infrastructure and property. Nepalese authorities said a national day of mourning will be observed on September 7 in honor of those who lost their lives during the flood, with the national flag flown at half-staff at government offices and Nepali embassies and missions abroad.

Rescue efforts are also underway in China, where a mudslide hit a major land crossing between the two countries; the only road to the site in Tibet's Gyirong county fully reopened on Wednesday. Chinese officials say at least 31 people were killed and 531 are missing on the Tibet side of the border. More than 800 foreign nationals are among those missing in the area, which is popular with trekkers and pilgrims. According to the State Department, 75 Americans remained unaccounted for as of Wednesday, while 16 had made their way to safety.