Rescuers in Nepal successfully extracted two workers from a hydropower tunnel on Friday, marking the second breakthrough in a desperate operation to save those trapped by catastrophic flooding. The men were found alive in the Trishuli-3A project nine days after floods, likely triggered by a glacier collapse, swept through the region on Aug. 26.
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the first rescue, while lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane announced the second on Facebook. Officials identified the survivors as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. Local television footage showed one of the men, caked in mud, being carried from the site on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both were reported to be in stable condition and transported to a hospital in Kathmandu.
Despite the successful rescues, the crisis continues to deepen. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal states that at least 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli-3A site, with approximately 115 believed to be trapped within the main tunnel. Rescuers on the ground maintain that some individuals may still be alive inside.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina expressed continued optimism, writing on social media, “We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people.”
The broader disaster has taken a heavy toll across the country. According to Nepal’s disaster management agency, at least 1,259 people have been killed and over 5,000 remain missing. On the Chinese side of the border, authorities reported 21 deaths and 541 missing as of late Wednesday.
Local officials estimate that roughly 900 workers are missing from 12 different hydropower projects nationwide, with about 500 thought to be trapped in tunnels.
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