Nepal flash floods: Two men rescued alive after nine days trapped inside hydropower tunnel

Two men have been rescued alive from a tunnel at Nepal’s Trishuli 3A hydropower project, nine days after flash floods left them trapped inside, the Nepalese Army said on Friday.

The rescued men have been identified as Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor, Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Shreeram Neupane said, according to reports. Both were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Sah will be taken to Birendra Army Hospital in Chhauni, while Maharjan will receive treatment at the National Trauma Centre.

The rescue came after teams searching the tunnel established contact with people believed to be trapped inside. Rescuers heard voices from within the tunnel and called out to those inside, urging them not to panic. The people responded, indicating that they were alive.

Personnel from the Nepalese Army and Armed Police Force subsequently entered the tunnel and stepped up the rescue operation.

The tunnel was sealed after flooding triggered by the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa on August 26. Rescue teams had been working for nine days to locate people who were believed to have been trapped inside the project.

Neupane, who had been stationed at the hydropower project as an engineer, said earlier that the rescue teams had received information that people were speaking from inside the tunnel. He had remained involved in the operation until Thursday evening.

The Nepalese Army also confirmed the rescue in a post on X on Friday, sharing details of the operation.

The rescue is a major breakthrough in the search for survivors as Nepal continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating floods. According to Nepal Police, the death toll from the floods has risen to 1,290.