Two Workers Rescued From Nepal Hydropower Tunnel After Nine Days
Two hydropower workers have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods and landslides buried the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in the country’s Rasuwa district. The dramatic rescue has renewed hopes that other missing workers could still be alive.
The survivors were identified as mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan. Rescue teams found them about 170 metres inside the tunnel and brought them to the surface on Friday, September 4.
Sah, 30, had been working at the project when the disaster struck. According to reports, he remained behind while trying to help colleagues escape as floodwaters and debris swept through the facility. Maharjan was also trapped underground as the tunnel became inaccessible.
The rescue teams faced enormous difficulties as mud, rocks and debris blocked access to the underground structures. Teams used heavy equipment and carefully cleared the buried sections before reaching the workers. Rescue personnel eventually heard voices from inside the tunnel, confirming that survivors were still there.
Sah and Maharjan were taken to Kathmandu for medical treatment. Reports said Sah’s injuries were not critical, while Maharjan was suffering from more serious physical effects after spending nine days underground.
The successful operation has given a major emotional boost to families still waiting for news of missing relatives. Authorities and rescue teams believe hundreds of hydropower workers could remain trapped or unaccounted for in tunnels across several affected projects.
Officials estimate that around 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels. Search teams are continuing operations at other sites, hoping the latest rescue demonstrates that survival underground for several days remains possible.
The disaster began on August 26 after a major ice, rock and mud surge swept through the Trishuli River valley. The floods devastated communities and infrastructure near Nepal’s border with China, leaving more than 1,200 people dead and thousands still missing, according to the latest reports.
For rescuers and families, the survival of Sah and Maharjan has transformed what had been a desperate search into a renewed race against time. Teams are now working to reach other buried tunnels and determine whether more people can be brought out alive.
