Rescuers in Nepal have pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel, nine days after devastating floods trapped hundreds of workers in tunnels and swept through communities across the country.
The two men were rescued on Friday from the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel, where emergency teams were still working to locate dozens of other workers believed to be trapped underground.
The floods, which struck on August 26, were likely triggered by a glacier collapse and caused widespread destruction, destroying towns and sweeping away entire villages.
Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane announced the rescue of the second worker shortly after Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed that the first worker had been brought out alive.
Officials identified the rescued workers as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.
Images broadcast by local television stations showed the first worker covered in mud as he was carried from the site on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both men were said to be in stable condition and were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu for further medical attention.
According to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal, at least 557 workers remain missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project along the Trishuli River, with about 115 believed to be trapped inside the main tunnel.
Rescue officials at the scene said there was still hope that more workers could be found alive as emergency teams continued their search.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina also expressed optimism about the ongoing operation, saying, “We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people.”
The disaster has caused widespread casualties across the region. Nepal’s disaster management agency reported that at least 1,259 people have been killed, while more than 5,000 others remain missing.
On the Tibet side of the border, Chinese authorities reported that 21 people had been killed and 541 were missing.
The destruction has also affected Nepal’s hydropower sector, with about 900 workers reported missing from 12 hydropower projects across the country. Around 500 of them are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Rescue operations are continuing as emergency teams race against time to locate and evacuate those who may still be alive.
