RismadarVoice Reporters
September 8, 2026
Two workers have been rescued alive after spending nine days trapped inside a flooded tunnel at Nepal’s Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project following one of the country’s worst flood disasters in decades.
Kabir Maharjan and mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah survived inside an air-filled chamber beneath the wreckage after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods and landslides in Nepal’s Trishuli valley on August 26.
The disaster destroyed several communities and hydropower facilities, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving thousands missing across Nepal and neighbouring Tibet.
According to officials involved in the rescue operation, Maharjan spent days drifting in and out of consciousness in muddy water while trapped in complete darkness. When he regained consciousness in hospital after being rescued, he reportedly struggled to recognise his wife.
The two men survived in a section of the tunnel that provided a small pocket of air. Rescue teams later discovered that they had taken shelter about 160 metres from the tunnel exit.
The disaster struck shortly after Maharjan spoke with his wife before entering the tunnel for work at the hydropower project. About an hour later, a glacier collapse at the Langtang Lirung mountain area sent a powerful wave of mud and water through the valley.
Workers inside the hydropower facility attempted to escape as floodwaters rushed in, but many were overwhelmed. Officials said an escape ladder could have helped save more workers if they had known its location during the emergency.
As rescue efforts began, engineers faced major challenges from unstable debris, heavy rainfall and blocked tunnel entrances. Crews used drilling equipment, controlled explosions and heavy machinery to clear a path through layers of mud, rocks and other debris.
A breakthrough came when rescuers drilled a small hole from above to identify the tunnel’s exact location. After days of searching, teams detected possible signs of life deep inside the tunnel.
Rescuers said they heard sounds coming from the blocked passage and eventually spotted a hand through the debris. After clearing a small opening, they heard the survivors respond with the words “we are here”.
The two men were pulled out on the 10th day of the disaster. Sah was carried out on a rescuer’s back, while Maharjan was removed on a stretcher because of more serious injuries.
Maharjan was later treated in hospital for a deep infected wound on his leg. His family described his survival as a second chance at life.
Another survivor, Chinese national Lu Haitao, was also found alive in a separate tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project the following day.
The rescue has raised hopes among authorities searching for other workers believed to remain trapped in tunnels across the affected region. Rescue teams continue efforts to locate possible survivors while recovering victims from the disaster sites.