Nepal rescues two hydropower workers nine days after flash floods

Nepal rescues two hydropower workers nine days after flash floods

Rescue teams in Nepal have pulled two men alive from a hydropower project tunnel nine days after a catastrophic glacial and rock collapse triggered massive flash floods. The survivors, identified as 45-year-old mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan and 30-year-old mechanical foreman Sanjay Shah, were rescued Friday from the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station.

Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, said teams at the project believed they had heard a faint response from inside the tunnel saying hunchha, which means yes or OK. Rescue workers had called into the tunnel, Don't worry, we are rescuing you, according to Dix.

Teams had dug through 50 to 60 metres of debris blocking the tunnel before pulling the two men to safety. Images released by authorities showed Maharjan being pulled from a hole in the ground while bystanders cheered. Shah, whose face was covered in mud, was carried on the back of a worker to a rescue tent. An army official stated that Sah's vital parameters looked normal, though an aide to Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha noted that Maharjan cannot move his hands and legs.

Both men were transported to an army hospital in Kathmandu, where they are currently in the intensive care unit. Shah told rescuers he spent his time trapped reciting mantras. He also informed teams that three or four more people could be alive in the tunnel, and possibly more in deeper reaches.

The rescue comes after a disaster on August 26 that Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal described as a Himalayan tsunami. A glacier collapse on the upper reaches of the Trishuli River on the China-Nepal border sent a wall of mud and debris through towns and valleys. The event destroyed roads, bridges, and multiple hydropower dams.

In Nepal, the disaster management agency reports at least 1,259 deaths and 5,083 people missing. In China, Tibet reported 21 deaths and 541 missing. Combined, the toll stands at 1,280 dead and 5,624 missing. More than 800 foreign nationals from at least 34 countries, including many pilgrims and trekkers, are among the missing. Australia expressed serious concerns for 36 of its citizens, dispatching disaster response specialists to the region on Friday.

Authorities believe about 900 workers are missing across 12 projects, with roughly 500 feared trapped inside tunnels. While a small group escaped another tunnel hours after the initial disaster, the rescue of Maharjan and Shah represents the first confirmed survival of tunnel workers since August 26.

Rescue efforts are being led by the Nepali army and police, supported by experts from India, South Korea, and China. To assist the search, engineers have been pumping air into the tunnels and using a WhatsApp group to coordinate expert guidance alongside the use of helicopters and heavy machinery.

Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated that property, housing, and infrastructure losses are worth at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees ($2.56 billion). Approximately 20,000 houses need rebuilding, with at least 7,500 completely destroyed.

UN chief in Nepal Lila Pieters Yahia warned that the magnitude of the destruction has made aid delivery an immense challenge, noting that access has been very, very, very difficult. The UN is considering the use of porters and cargo drones to reach isolated communities.

Despite the tragedy, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha expressed continued hope following Friday's rescue, stating:

"As long as there is breath, there is hope! Rescue operations are continuing in all the affected tunnels. Let everyone's efforts and prayers continue. We have not lost hope."

Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Energy Minister, via statement

Rescue teams continue to work through hard-packed debris at the Trishuli 3A project and other sites to locate additional survivors.