Nepal Flood Rescue: Air Pocket Found in Blocked Hydropower Tunnel Where Workers Trapped
- Rescuers searching a hydropower tunnel in northern Nepal clogged with mud, water, and rock have located a pocket of air near where six workers are believed to be...
- Search teams recently achieved a major breakthrough when two hydropower workers were pulled alive from the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project after spending nine days trapped underground, according...
- Authorities believe that at least 900 people may have been trapped in tunnels linked to six hydropower projects along the Trishuli River and surrounding waterways.
Rescuers searching a hydropower tunnel in northern Nepal clogged with mud, water, and rock have located a pocket of air near where six workers are believed to be trapped, according to verified reporting. The operation follows catastrophic floods and mudslides that have devastated the region and left thousands missing.
Miracle Rescues Amid a Massive Disaster
Search teams recently achieved a major breakthrough when two hydropower workers were pulled alive from the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project after spending nine days trapped underground, according to reports from HappeningNews. The survivors were identified as Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor. Both men were subsequently transferred to an army hospital in Kathmandu for medical treatment. Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who has been advising the rescue operation, stated that the successful extraction proved people could survive underground for extended periods, giving teams renewed reason to continue searching. The human cost of the wider disaster remains staggering. Nepalese government figures cited by The Guardian on 5 September recorded 1,294 confirmed deaths, with 5,053 people still missing, including 583 foreign nationals.
Inside the Search for Trapped Workers
Authorities believe that at least 900 people may have been trapped in tunnels linked to six hydropower projects along the Trishuli River and surrounding waterways. At the Trishuli 3A facility alone, approximately 40 more workers are believed to be trapped. Rescuers navigating the site face massive rocks, flooded tunnels, and unstable underground areas that in some cases require explosives and water-drainage efforts to clear. Sanjay Sah recounted remaining in the mechanical control room when disaster approached from upstream. Instead of fleeing immediately, he stayed to warn other workers because he believed he had a duty to protect those around him. By the time he attempted to escape, his path was blocked. During his nine days underground, Sah reportedly used prayer and mantras to stay calm and indicated to rescuers that he had been in contact with several other individuals inside the complex, providing fresh hope for ongoing search efforts.
