In a rare moment of relief, Nepalese rescue crews rescued two male workers from the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel on Friday, nine days after catastrophic floods swept the Himalayan region. The workers – mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah, 30, and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, 45 – were pulled from the mud‑filled tunnel and flown to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.
Rescue effort and ongoing danger
The tunnel, part of a major hydropower project along the Trishuli River in Rasuwa district, was inundated when a high‑altitude glacier collapse on Aug. 26 triggered massive flooding. The disaster has killed at least 1,287 people and left more than 5,000 missing, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority.
Army officials said they heard the voices of other workers inside the tunnel and that the rescued men reported additional survivors still trapped. “We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people,” Nepal’s communication minister Bikram Timilsina wrote on Facebook.
Scale of the tragedy
Local officials estimate that more than 900 workers are missing from roughly a dozen hydropower projects across the country, with about 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal says at least 557 workers are still unaccounted for at the Trishuli site alone, and roughly 115 are thought to be inside the main tunnel.
Rescuers face daunting challenges. Remote, mountainous terrain, ongoing bad weather, and damaged roads have hampered access. Floodwaters collapsed sections of tunnels, filling them with mud and debris and blocking many entrances. Teams, aided by foreign experts, are using controlled blasts, excavators and earth‑moving equipment around the clock, while also monitoring air quality and water supplies for those still underground.
International impact
The disaster extends beyond Nepal’s borders. In neighboring Tibet, a mudslide closed a major land crossing between China and Nepal. Chinese officials report at least 21 deaths and 541 missing on the Tibetan side. More than 800 foreign nationals are among the missing, including 75 Americans, according to the U.S. State Department, with 16 already reaching safety.
Family members expressed gratitude for the rescue. Amir Maharjan, brother of one of the survivors, told the Associated Press, “I can’t explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to God.” Nepal’s army posted images of the rescued workers, covered in mud, being carried on a rescuer’s shoulder, with the caption, “When hope is alive, even the impossible becomes possible.”
What comes next?
Authorities continue to search for survivors while also assessing damage to the country’s vital hydropower infrastructure. The projects are crucial for Nepal’s energy needs, and their loss could have long‑term economic repercussions. International aid and technical assistance are expected to remain essential as Nepal works to rebuild and provide closure for the thousands of families still waiting for news.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
