Two workers trapped for nine days in a tunnel following a catastrophic flood in Nepal’s Trishuli valley were rescued in an operation that has renewed hope for others still missing in the disaster. The collapse of a glacier above the region on August 26 unleashed a devastating landslide and flood that claimed more than 1,300 lives and left thousands unaccounted for in Nepal and the adjacent Tibet region of China.
Kabir Maharjan, a hydropower worker, and Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, were among nearly 900 personnel caught in the extensive damage within 12 hydropower projects along the valley. The men survived by sheltering in an air pocket inside a cable-duct tunnel approximately 160 meters from an exit point, according to lawmaker and veteran tunnel engineer Shri Ram Neupane, who helped coordinate the rescue.
On the morning of the disaster, Maharjan had called his wife before entering the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel, informing her that he would lose phone service once inside. Shortly afterward, the glacier collapse triggered a wall of mud and water that destroyed villages downstream and submerged multiple hydropower sites, quickly cutting off power stations monitored remotely by officials in Kathmandu.
Initial evacuation efforts were hampered by the absence of the 3A station manager and limited knowledge among workers of available escape routes. While about 30 workers outside the tunnels were swept away, those inside faced blocked access points, clogged by up to 30 meters of debris. Rescuers identified a ladder that could have aided evacuation, but most workers reportedly did not know its location.
The rescue effort faced significant challenges, including the need to stabilize saturated debris before excavation and frequent rainstorms that refilled cleared pathways. With floodwaters and mud obstructing all tunnel entrances, rescuers employed drilling, controlled blasting, and heavy machinery to reach the trapped men.
A breakthrough came on the tenth day after a borehole confirmed the tunnel's alignment. Rescuers heard unexplained noises and finally spotted a hand through a mud-filled passage. After clearing the remaining debris, soldiers made contact, and Maharjan and Sah were extracted. Both were severely weakened; Sah was carried on a rescuer’s back, while Maharjan required a stretcher.
Medical staff treated Maharjan for an infected leg injury, and at the hospital he initially did not recognize his wife, highlighting the trauma endured during the ordeal. The following day, Chinese national Lu Haitao was rescued from a different tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
Officials continue search operations for the 121 workers believed to remain trapped in tunnels within the flood zone. The successful rescue of Maharjan and Sah has provided a rare glimmer of hope amid the extensive ongoing recovery efforts amid Nepal’s worst flood disaster in decades.