Trapped for 9 Days: Two Hydropower Workers Rescued Alive in Nepal
Two workers have been rescued alive after spending nine days trapped inside a hydropower tunnel following devastating floods in Nepal.
The men were rescued on Friday from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, where emergency teams have been working to locate dozens of workers believed to be trapped underground.
The floods, which struck on August 26 and were reportedly linked to a glacier collapse, devastated communities, swept away villages and caused widespread destruction across the region.
Nepalese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the rescue of the first worker, while lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane later announced that a second worker had also been brought out alive.
Officials identified the rescued men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.
Images shared by local television stations showed one of the workers covered in mud and being carried from the tunnel on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both men were reportedly in stable condition and were airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu for medical treatment.
Despite the successful rescues, hundreds of workers remain unaccounted for at the Trishuli 3A project along the Trishuli River. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal said about 557 workers remain missing, with approximately 115 believed to be trapped inside the main tunnel.
Rescue officials said they remain hopeful that more survivors could be found inside the tunnel as emergency operations continue.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina also expressed optimism about the ongoing operation, saying the authorities were waiting for more people to be rescued.
The disaster has caused a major humanitarian crisis in the region. Nepalese authorities have reported at least 1,259 deaths and more than 5,000 people still missing.
On the Tibet side of the border, Chinese authorities reported 21 deaths and 541 people missing.
Across Nepal, approximately 900 workers are reportedly missing from 12 hydropower projects, with about 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Rescue teams continue to battle difficult conditions as they search for survivors and work to reach those still believed to be trapped underground.
