Rescuers in Nepal pulled two hydropower workers alive from a mud-choked tunnel on Friday, nine days after catastrophic glacial floods devastated mountain valleys. The rare survival breakthrough at the Trishuli 3A construction site has renewed urgent rescue operations for hundreds of missing workers trapped underground.
Trishuli 3A Tunnel Rescues Bring Breakthrough on Day Nine
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed that the workers were extracted from a depth of 170 meters. Officials identified the survivors as Sanjay Shah, a 30-year-old mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a 45-year-old mechanical supervisor.
Rescuers first detected faint signs of life earlier Friday morning. Local television footage showed the first survivor covered in grey mud, emerging from a narrow opening and being carried away on a rescuer’s shoulder.
Both men were immediately placed under medical observation. The prime minister’s office confirmed that one of the survivors was in a critical condition. Both were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu.
Inside the Underground Ordeal: Chanting Mantras and Managing the Control Room
Speaking with army officials after his extraction, Sanjay Shah recounted how he became trapped when the wall of water and debris slammed into the facility. He explained that he was on duty in the control room when the disaster struck.
“Usually there would be only five or six people there but at this time there must have been around 40 to 45 people inside. Since I was in the control room, my responsibility was to save everyone’s lives. After such an accident, I couldn’t just run away by myself. I had to save everyone.”
Photo: WSLS
Sanjay Shah, foreman at Upper Trishuli 3A, via The Guardian
Shah explained that by pausing to warn colleagues down the line, he lost precious time and ultimately could not escape before the tunnel entrances sealed shut. To survive the darkness and isolation for over a week, Shah spent his time chanting mantras and communicating with three or four other workers by shouting through nearby cavities.
Amir Maharjan, brother to the rescued supervisor Kabir Maharjan, told reporters that the family could scarcely believe the news relayed through social media broadcasts.
“I can’t explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to god.”
Amir Maharjan, brother of rescued worker Kabir Maharjan, via The Associated Press
International Expertise and the Scale of the Himalayan Disaster
The August 26 disaster was triggered by a massive glacial and rock collapse on the border between Nepal and China-controlled Tibet. According to Nepal’s disaster management agency, the resulting Himalayan tsunami killed at least 1,259 people, with more than 5,000 remaining missing. Across the border on the Tibet side, Chinese authorities reported 21 dead and 541 missing.
Photo: The Guardian
Twelve major hydropower projects along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers suffered catastrophic damage. Local authorities estimate that roughly 900 workers remain missing from these installations, with about 500 believed trapped inside air pockets within underground tunnels.
Project / Region
Missing Workers
Trapped in Tunnels (Estimated)
Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project
557 (Independent Power Producers Association)
115
All 12 Impacted Hydropower Plants
900 (Local Authorities)
500
Ongoing Search Efforts Across the Himalayan Corridor
Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha urged rescue crews to press forward, declaring in a public statement that As long as there is breath, there is hope! Government officials emphasized that operations remain active at multiple hydroelectric sites.
Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina confirmed via social media updates that rescue coordination continues around the clock as teams seek to reach additional pockets where survivors may still hold out.
