2 trapped tunnel workers rescued in Nepal more than a week after catastrophic flash floods

On Friday, two hydropower workers were rescued from a tunnel buried in debris in Nepal, more than a week after a catastrophic flash flood swept through the area. The men, Sanjay Shah, 30, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor, were pulled from the Trishuli 3A tunnel, according to government ministers.

Rescuers celebrated as one worker was pulled from a muddy opening and helped to his feet, while a photograph showed the second man caked in mud, praying as rescuers carried him away on an orange stretcher. The men were identified by Home Minister Sudan Gurung. Amir Maharjan, the brother of Kabir Maharjan, expressed his joy upon hearing the news.

The two are among hundreds of hydropower workers missing since the flood on August 26. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha confirmed that one person had been rescued from the tunnel, followed by a second. The government initially believed over 100 workers could still be alive in multiple tunnels. Search efforts continued at Trishuli 3A and other sites.

Australian rescue expert Arnold Dix, who has advised on numerous tunnel-collapse rescues, said teams heard a faint response from inside the tunnel, believing the men said "hunchha," meaning "yes" or "OK." Dix was traveling to Nepal to join the rescue effort, describing the situation as "glass three-quarters full" after a week of heartache. Rescuers had dug through debris for 50 to 60 meters, hoping for a breakthrough.