'Hare Krishna' Chant Kept Me Going, Says Worker Trapped 9 Days in Tunnel Before Janmashtami Rescue

Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old foreman with the Nepal Electricity Authority, said that he relied entirely on the relentless chanting of the 'Hare Krishna' mahamantra to survive nine agonizing days trapped inside a pitch-black hydroelectric tunnel during devastating floods in Nepal.

Rescuers pulled Sah and a colleague alive from the debris on Janmashtami, bringing a dramatic end to a harrowing ordeal deep underground.

Miraculous Survival Amid Pitch Darkness

Trapped within the cavernous darkness of the Upper Trishuli 3A Powerhouse project, Sah, who hails from Saptari district in Madhesh Province, kept his spirits alive through constant prayer. Emergency personnel pulled him out covered in mud, carrying him to safety on a responder's back.

"I was chanting 'Hare Krishna' continuously inside the tunnel," Sah recounted after his rescue. "It was the only thing that kept my hope alive."

When the catastrophic flash floods struck on 26 August—triggered by a massive ice and rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border—Sah was inside the project's control room. Rather than fleeing immediately, he prioritised warning his colleagues to run. By the time he turned to save himself, torrents of water blocked his exit.

For nine days, Sah navigated the subterranean darkness completely isolated, maintaining contact with three or four other trapped workers only by shouting through the gloom. Sah is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital in Trishuli, where doctors report his condition as stable.

Critical Airlift for Second Survivor

Rescuers also recovered 45-year-old Kabir Mahajan, a mechanical supervisor trapped alongside Sah. Due to his critical condition, emergency teams airlifted Mahajan directly to the Nepal Army Hospital in Kathmandu for specialised medical intervention.

The pair represent the first survivors pulled directly from the main disaster site by emergency personnel, following a smaller group that managed to escape through a secondary tunnel hours after the initial deluge.

Massive Search Operations Continue

The disaster has laid waste to infrastructure across northern and central Nepal, destroying homes, schools, and major roadways. Official figures confirm at least 1,287 fatalities and over 5,083 people missing across the country. In neighbouring Tibet, authorities report 21 deaths and 541 missing.

Search and rescue operations led by the Nepal Army remain underway using advanced heavy equipment. However, the situation underground remains precarious.

Officials estimate that nearly 900 workers remain trapped across six project tunnels along the Trishuli River basin. Meanwhile, the Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal reports over 600 workers missing across 11 affected power installations. Sah cautioned that many more individuals could still be trapped deeper inside the powerhouse tunnels where heavy floodwaters continue to restrict access.