Rescuers pull two survivors from Nepal tunnel after 9 days
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Flooding kills over 1,300 people, with more than 100 workers missing.
- Survivors are airlifted to Kathmandu as teams search for 39 others.
Emergency rescue teams achieved a dramatic breakthrough in Nepal, pulling two workers alive from a flooded subterranean tunnel nine days after a catastrophic glacial flood devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region.
Dramatic footage captured the moment Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan were pulled out of the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project facility, where hundreds of workers became trapped when torrents of mud and water inundated the site.
Authorities confirmed that both men sustained injuries to their hands and legs during their nine-day ordeal underground. They were immediately airlifted to a hospital in the capital city of Kathmandu for urgent medical evaluation and treatment.
Fading odds yield moment of hope
The flash flooding, which struck last Wednesday, is believed to have been triggered by a massive glacial collapse high in the Himalayas.
The resulting surge swept down the Trishuli River corridor, wiping out roads, bridges, and entire buildings while trapping scores of workers across various hydel infrastructure projects.
Despite the fading probability of finding survivors after more than a week underground, the rescue of Shah and Maharjan has provided a surge of hope for families waiting near the site.
At least 39 people are still believed to be trapped inside the Trishuli 3A tunnel alongside the two rescued men, while search efforts continue across the broader regional network where over 100 workers remain unaccounted for.
