Two rescued alive from Nepal hydropower tunnel

Two men pulled from a Nepalese hydropower tunnel are alive, while at least 39 others remain trapped and over 100 are reported missing across a series of tunnels along the Trishuli River. Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, workers at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station, were airlifted to the Army Hospital in Kathmandu, where Maharjan is in critical condition.

The rescue occurred nine days after a glacier collapse triggered a flood, resulting in over 1,250 fatalities and leaving more than 1,400 people missing and thousands displaced. Rescue efforts began six days after the initial incident due to the tunnel entrance being buried. Although rescue workers have not given up, they have only reached 250 meters into one tunnel before encountering a blockage.

A UAE relief mission and Australian disaster response specialists have joined the search, aiming to provide aid, medical evacuation, and first aid. Meanwhile, the crisis has left at least 22,000 children in dire need of clean drinking water, sanitation, and psychosocial support, with many schools damaged or destroyed and water systems damaged or destroyed, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.

The estimated cost of property and infrastructure damage reaches $2.56 billion, with plans to rebuild approximately 20,000 homes in the affected regions.