Rescue teams in Nepal have saved two workers who spent nine days trapped inside a hydropower tunnel. They became trapped after a devastating flash flood hit the country on August 26.
The men were rescued early Friday from the main tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. Both were alive when rescuers reached them. Their rescue has raised hopes that other people may still be trapped underground.
The disaster caused widespread destruction across Nepal. Water, rocks, and mud swept through Himalayan valleys after what is believed to have been the partial collapse of a glacier. More than 1,200 people have died, while thousands remain missing. Tens of thousands have also been forced to leave their homes.
The rescued workers were identified as Sanjay Shah, 30, and Kabir Maharjan, 45. Shah is a mechanical foreman, while Maharjan is a mechanical supervisor. Images showed rescuers pulling one of the men through a small opening covered with mud. The second worker was carried out on a stretcher.
Both men are receiving medical care and will be taken to a hospital in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, rescue teams continue searching the tunnels for other survivors.
Hope for More Survivors
The two men are the first workers rescued from a hydropower or construction site since the disaster began. At least 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli 3A project, and about 115 are believed to be trapped inside the main tunnel.
One of the survivors reportedly told rescuers that other people could still be alive inside. Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina also said there is still hope of finding more survivors.
The search remains difficult because the tunnels are filled with mud and debris. Rescue teams must work carefully as they try to reach areas where people may be trapped.
A Wider Disaster
The Trishuli 3A search is part of a much larger rescue operation. The August 26 disaster left more than 5,000 people missing in Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet.
Nepal has confirmed at least 1,287 deaths. China has also reported deaths and hundreds of missing people in Tibet. Many communities suffered serious damage, while families continue to wait for information about their relatives.
Nepal has mainly relied on its own rescue teams. However, Australia sent a 15-member team of drone specialists on Friday after a request from the Nepalese government. The team will use drones to search areas that are difficult to reach from the ground.
Thirty-six Australian citizens are also among those missing. Australian emergency officials said they still hope some people may have survived and believe the drone team could help locate them.
The rescue of Shah and Maharjan has brought new hope to the search. After nine days underground, their survival shows that other people may still be alive. Rescue teams continue their work as families across Nepal wait for news about their missing relatives.
Al Jazeera, AFP and AP (2026, 4 de septiembre). Nepal search teams rescue two workers from hydropower tunnel. Al Jazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/4/nepal-search-teams-rescue-two-workers-from-hydropower-tunnel