Two workers rescued from Nepal hydropower tunnel 10 days after floods

Two workers have been rescued alive from a tunnel at Nepal’s Trishuli 3A hydropower project, 10 days after devastating flash floods struck the country.

The survivors were identified as mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, 45, and foreman Sanjay Sah, 30, according to the Public Relations Directorate of the Nepal Army.

An army-led joint security command carried out the rescue operation using specialised equipment.

The operation gained momentum after rescue personnel heard voices coming from inside the tunnel and established communication with those believed to be trapped, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Personnel from the Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force subsequently intensified efforts to reach the workers and bring them to safety.

The rescue offered a rare moment of hope amid the widespread destruction caused by the 26 August disaster. The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, devastated several towns and villages across northern and central Nepal.

The country’s death toll rose to 1,282 on Friday as search and recovery operations continued in the affected regions.

According to Nepal Police, 359 bodies have been recovered in Chitwan, 218 in Nawalparasi East, 208 in Nawalparasi West, 185 in Nuwakot, 140 in Rasuwa, 72 in Gorkha, 60 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahu.

Two more people died while receiving treatment at separate hospitals in Kathmandu, taking the overall toll to 1,282.

With PTI inputs