Two people have been rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal nine days after deadly flash floods trapped them underground.
The workers were rescued from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project tunnel, one of the areas worst affected by last week’s devastating floods, according to Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet.
Local television channels broadcast footage of the first survivor being pulled out, covered in mud and carried on a rescuer’s shoulder.
Sanjay Shah was the first person to be rescued and was taken to the Nepal Army barracks in Trishuli. Another worker, identified as Kabir Maharjan, was later rescued from the tunnel. Both were found at a depth of 170 metres inside the tunnel, Basnet confirmed.
The floods, triggered by a sudden surge of water, debris and mud following the collapse of a melting glacier on the Nepal-China border region, destroyed several hydropower projects and caused widespread damage.
Rescue operations have focused on hydropower tunnels, where authorities believe some workers may have survived for more than a week due to trapped air pockets. More than 270 people have so far been rescued from hydropower projects.
At the Upper Trishuli 3A facility, rescue teams took nearly six days to locate the tunnels because of heavy mud deposits. Authorities said they believed around 30 to 40 workers could still be alive inside the tunnel.
Army personnel and specialist rescue teams have been working around the clock to clear mud and large boulders blocking the tunnel entrance. Hopes increased further on Friday morning after rescuers heard voices coming from deep inside the tunnel.
Local authorities said around 900 workers remain missing from 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, with about 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
