Miracle Rescue In Nepal: Two Workers Pulled Alive From Trishuli 3A Tunnel After 9 Days
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Two workers trapped inside a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal were rescued alive on Friday, nine days after a deadly flash flood swept through the Trishuli River corridor and caused widespread destruction in the region.
Two workers rescued alive
The Secretariat of Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation confirmed that Kabir Maharjan, 45, and Sanjaya Sah, 30, were rescued from the tunnel.
Maharjan, from Kathmandu, was a supervisor for the Hydropower Automation Project of Upper Trishuli 3A, while Sah, from Saptari district, worked as a foreman.
According to the minister’s secretariat, Sah was rescued earlier on Friday, followed by Maharjan. Both men were airlifted and taken to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.
Rescuers heard voices from inside tunnel
The rescue operation gained momentum after rescuers heard voices coming from inside the tunnel and established communication with people believed to be trapped there.
The Nepal Army and Armed Police Force then intensified efforts to reach those inside. Local media reports said rescue teams called out to the trapped workers and asked them not to panic as efforts continued to clear a path into the tunnel.
A large rock was found blocking the tunnel, prompting rescuers to carry out blasting work to remove the obstruction and facilitate the search and rescue operation.
Army, police and Chinese experts involved
A joint team of the Nepal Army and Armed Police Force, including Chinese experts, has been working at the site.
The rescue operation involved five excavators, compressors and breakers, while tunnel drilling and holing work was intensified to gain access to the affected section.
The successful rescue of the two workers has also raised hopes that other people could still be alive inside tunnels or other structures affected by the floods.
Flash floods caused widespread destruction
The flash flood struck the Trishuli River valley on August 26, sweeping through the area and causing extensive damage to hydropower projects and key road links.
According to the latest situation report issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), at least 1,252 people had been killed, while 5,053 people remained missing as of Thursday evening.
The 60 MW Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project was among the infrastructure affected by the floods, which hit the Trishuli and Bhotekoshi river systems.
Search teams have continued working in difficult conditions to locate people who may have been trapped inside tunnels and other structures.
The Independent Power Producers’ Association said on Thursday evening that 945 people working across 11 hydropower projects affected by the floods remained out of contact.
