RismadarVoice Reporters
September 4, 2026
Two workers have been rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal after spending nine days trapped underground following devastating floods and mudslides that struck the country’s Himalayan region.
The workers were rescued from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project tunnel in Rasuwa district, where emergency teams have been conducting search and rescue operations since floods hit the area on August 26.
Officials identified the rescued men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane announced the second rescue shortly after army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet confirmed that the first worker had been brought out alive.
Rescue teams discovered that survivors were still inside the tunnel after hearing voices from underground on Friday morning, allowing them to locate and reach the trapped workers.
Footage from local television showed one of the rescued workers covered in mud and being carried out by rescue personnel. Officials said both men were in stable condition and were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu for medical attention.
Amir Maharjan, the brother of one of the rescued workers, Kabir Maharjan, expressed relief following the rescue, saying the family was grateful after days of uncertainty. The worker’s wife, Hirashova, said the family had struggled to eat and sleep while waiting for news about his condition.
Authorities said hundreds of workers connected to hydropower projects remain missing following the floods. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal reported that at least 557 workers from the Trishuli 3A project were unaccounted for, with about 115 believed to still be trapped inside the main tunnel.
Officials at the rescue site said they believe more people may still be alive underground and expressed hope that additional survivors would be found.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said rescue operations would continue as teams work to reach more trapped workers.
The floods and landslides, which authorities believe may have been triggered by a glacier-related event, have caused widespread destruction across Nepal. The country’s disaster management agency said at least 1,259 people have died, while more than 5,000 others remain missing.
Authorities also said around 900 workers from 12 hydropower projects across Nepal are missing, with hundreds believed to be trapped inside tunnels. Rescue operations are continuing as emergency teams search affected areas.
