Two men have been pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal nine days after floods devastated the region, with rescue crews reporting hearing more voices from inside the hydropower plant, raising hopes for others still trapped.
The two individuals, identified as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, were rescued in quick succession on Friday. Local news channels shared images of the mud-covered workers being carried from the site on rescuers' shoulders. Dramatic video also showed about a dozen rescuers pulling a man from a small hole in the ground, with cheers erupting as he reached safety. Both rescued men are now under medical observation.
The rescue occurred amid a desperate operation to bore into the tunnel, where an estimated 115 workers were believed to be trapped following devastating floods on August 26. A total of at least 557 workers remain missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant. Dozens of people had been working inside the 2.5-mile long tunnel leading to an underground powerhouse when a glacier collapsed.
As days passed, hopes had been fading for the safe rescue of the workers at plants along the river, which include foreigners from China, South Korea, and India. However, following the rescue of the two men on Friday, search crews reported hearing voices from within the tunnels, according to Bigpin Regmi, police chief in the hard-hit district of Nuwakot.
Broader Impact and Response
The disaster, triggered by a massive glacier collapse along the Nepal-China border, has had widespread consequences. The United States Geological Survey described the seismic event as an extremely powerful 'glacial collapse and debris flow' that caused catastrophic impacts downstream. As the ice mass plummeted, it pulverized into a fast-flowing mix of freezing water, debris, and rocks, sweeping down the mountainside and razing villages along the Lende Khola River.
Across Nepal, the floods have killed at least 1,259 people, with more than 5,000 still missing, according to the country's disaster management agency. On the Tibet side of the border, China reported 21 deaths and 541 missing individuals. Approximately 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with about 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels.
The US State Department is tracking approximately 75 Americans unaccounted for across the Nepal-China border, with 16 having reached safety. Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah has been coordinating government efforts and thanking local and international organizations for their support.
More than 21,000 security personnel from Nepal's police, army, and armed forces have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Thousands of emergency responders have provided medical treatment to at least 4,070 people. The government has allocated about 1 billion Nepali rupees, approximately $6.5 million, for rebuilding flood-affected areas. The destruction has been extensive, with roads, villages, and buildings damaged, and at least 48 suspension bridges requiring complete replacement.
Authorities are continuing efforts to identify the deceased, burying bodies in temporary graves and preserving DNA samples and identifying features. Each body is assigned a reference number to aid in later identification and claims by families.