Two workers trapped for nine days in a collapsed hydropower tunnel in Nepal have been rescued alive, providing a rare spark of hope amid ongoing search efforts. The survivors, identified as a supervisor and a foreman mechanic at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Plant, were extracted from beneath rubble and flown to hospitals in Kathmandu. Both sustained injuries, with one reported in critical condition.

Australian tunneling expert Arnold Dix, who has been advising the rescue operations remotely, described the recovery as “bloody amazing.” Dix highlighted the persistence of the search teams, motivated by the possibility that life could have been sustained in the sealed tunnels despite the disaster. Officials believe there could be as many as 39 more workers still trapped in the same tunnel, with hope that others may also be found alive in nearby hydropower facilities along the Trishuli River.

The rescue efforts have been bolstered by an increasing Australian presence on the ground. A 15-member Disaster Assistance Response Team arrived in Kathmandu on Friday night local time, joined closely by seven Australian Federal Police victim identification experts. The AFP team brings experience from multiple international disaster responses, including the 2002 Bali bombings, the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and the 2014 MH17 crash.

With these reinforcements, the total number of Australian personnel supporting the international search and rescue operations has grown to 41, with another team expected to arrive soon. As of Friday, 36 Australians were still listed as missing in Nepal and Tibet, a slight reduction from 38 after two previously unaccounted-for nationals were located safe and uninjured.

Meanwhile, families and friends of the missing continue to share photographs and last known locations on social media in attempts to aid the search. An online petition urging the Australian government to increase military and humanitarian assistance to Nepal has garnered more than 13,000 signatures.

The disaster has also had a profound impact on the Nepalese community in Australia. Sydney resident Ramesh Ghale, 27, is coping with the deaths of his mother and grandmother in the floods that devastated the Rasuwa district. His father, Purna Bahadur Ghale, survived by fleeing uphill during the avalanche of mud that destroyed their home in Laharepauwa village but sustained serious spinal injuries. Ramesh is now grappling with the difficult decision of whether to travel to Kathmandu to be with his father, who has urged him to stay safe in Australia.

The rescue operation continues amid widespread efforts to locate survivors and recover those still unaccounted for in the wake of the disaster.