Nepal Rescuers Race to Reach Dozens Trapped in Tunnel After Two Found Alive

Rescue teams in Nepal have intensified efforts to reach dozens of workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels after two men were pulled out alive, nine days after devastating floods and landslides struck the region.                                                                                                                              

                                 

The two survivors, identified as Sanjay Shah, 30, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, were rescued from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project on Friday after rescuers reportedly heard faint responses from inside the debris-filled tunnel. Both men were taken for medical treatment, with Maharjan reported to be in critical condition.

The dramatic rescue has renewed hopes that other missing workers could still be alive. Authorities believe hundreds of people may remain trapped across several hydropower projects affected by the disaster, with difficult conditions inside the tunnels making rescue operations extremely challenging.

The disaster began on August 26 after a major glacial and rock collapse triggered destructive flooding and mudslides along the Trishuli River and surrounding Himalayan valleys. Entire communities were devastated, while roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure were badly damaged.

At the Trishuli 3A site, rescuers have been clearing huge quantities of mud, rocks and debris to create access routes into the underground structures. The successful recovery of the two workers has given families waiting for news of their loved ones a renewed sense of hope.

Nepal's disaster has killed more than 1,200 people and left thousands missing, while neighbouring Tibet has also reported deaths and hundreds of missing people following the same wider Himalayan disaster. Rescue teams continue to search several locations despite the dangerous and unstable conditions.

Officials and rescue specialists are now working to determine whether more survivors can be reached. The discovery of Shah and Maharjan after more than a week underground has raised hopes that other trapped workers may also have found areas where they could survive.

For families still waiting for their relatives, the rescue of the two men has provided a rare moment of hope amid one of Nepal's worst recent natural disasters.