Two Workers Rescued From Nepal Tunnel After Flash Floods

Two workers were rescued alive on Friday from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic flash floods triggered by a glacial collapse devastated the region. The rescue of Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan offered a glimmer of hope as search teams continue to locate hundreds of people still missing and feared trapped in hydropower tunnels across the country. The rescue operation at the Trishuli 3A site, located on the Trishuli River, involved teams boring into the tunnel to reach workers who had been trapped since the August 26 disaster. Army spokesperson Brig Gen Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the two men were pulled from a depth of 170 meters inside the tunnel. Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor, were subsequently transported to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment. An aide to Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha reported that Maharjan was unable to move his hands and legs, while Sah's injuries were not considered critical. The rescue was followed by a promising development. Shri Ram Neupane, a lawmaker and engineer involved in the operation, announced that more voices were heard from deeper within the tunnel.