'Second life': Nepal tunnel survivor Sanjay Sah recalls ordeal

Nepali hydropower worker Sanjay Sah survived a 10-day ordeal in a flooded tunnel after devastating floods hit a hydropower station in Nepal on August 26. Trapped in darkness, Sah lost all sense of time and drank muddy water, praying for rescue. When he was finally pulled to safety on September 4, Sah asked the rescue team how many days had passed, expressing his disorientation.

The disaster, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, killed at least 1,429 people and left over 5,640 missing. Sah's Hindu faith provided strength during the ordeal, and he found solace in the voices of other trapped workers. After days of excavation, Sah and another survivor were rescued. Sah's wife, Kapur Devi Sah, expressed her joy upon his return, while he acknowledged the sadness of losing friends in the disaster.

The UAE and other countries intensified search and rescue efforts, urging authorities to continue the effort as there was still a chance someone could still be alive.