Two workers were rescued alive from the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel in Nepal nine days after flash floods buried the project in mud. Army spokesperson Brig Gen Raja Ram Basnet said Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharjan were brought out from a depth of 170 metres and flown to a hospital in Kathmandu in stable condition.
How the rescue unfolded
Shah, the foreman at Upper Trishuli 3A, was rescued first and taken to Nepal Army barracks in Trishuli. Maharjan, a supervisor, was subsequently brought out. Images released by the army showed Shah emerging from a small tunnel entrance covered in mud, conscious and carried on a rescuer’s shoulder.
Rescue teams had spent almost six days locating the tunnels at the facility. After a breakthrough early on Friday, rescuers heard voices inside and called out, “Don’t panic, we are rescuing you.” Someone inside replied: “Okay.” For additional context, see “Rescuers search hydropower tunnels after Nepal floods kill more than 1,270”.
What Shah told rescuers
Shah said he had been in the tunnel’s control room when the flood struck. He told rescuers that about 40 to 45 people may have been inside, compared with the usual five or six, and that he delayed his own escape while trying to get others out.
He said he stayed calm in the darkness by chanting mantras and communicated by shouting with three or four other people. Shah also said there could be workers inside the powerhouse who had not escaped. A related part of this story is covered in “Officials see hope for 46 workers trapped in Nepal tunnel”.
Search continues for missing workers
Nepal’s communication minister, Bikram Timilsina, said officials remained hopeful that more workers would be rescued. More than 270 people have so far been rescued across several hydropower projects, where authorities believe air pockets may have helped some workers survive.
The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal said at least 557 workers were missing from hydropower projects along the Trishuli River, including about 115 believed trapped in the main tunnel. Local authorities estimate that about 900 workers are missing from 12 Himalayan hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels. Families have been gathering at hospitals in Kathmandu and at the Nepal electricity office seeking information. The development of this issue can be followed in “Why deadly floods devastated India’s Upper Assam”.
What happens next
Rescue operations are continuing at the hydropower tunnels, including the Rasuwagadhi project, where Nepalese authorities say they are confident that 46 workers trapped in an underground chamber are still alive.
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