{
  "id": 7066796,
  "title": "'Second life': Nepal tunnel survivor recalls ordeal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/second-life-nepal-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T05:43:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/09/1531739/second-life-nepal-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Saptari, Nepal witnessed a harrowing survival story of Sanjay Sah, a hydropower worker, who was trapped in a flooded tunnel for 10 days. Sah recounted his ordeal to AFP, expressing disbelief at how long he had been trapped. The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border, resulted in at least 1,429 deaths and over 5,640 missing, primarily in Nepal. Despite warnings of impending floodwaters, Sah and his colleagues were unable to evacuate in time. Stranded in darkness, Sah drew strength from his Hindu faith, chanting mantras and maintaining hope. With limited clean water, he survived on the muddy water available. A nearby trapped worker, Kabir Maharjan, provided companionship through their shared ordeal. Eventually, rescue teams managed to bring Sah and Maharjan to safety. While Sah expressed gratitude for surviving, he also felt saddened for his friends who perished in the flood. He urged authorities not to abandon the ongoing search and rescue efforts, hoping for more survivors.",
  "summary": "SAPTARI, Nepal: For 10 days, Nepali hydropower worker Sanjay Sah survived in darkness inside a flooded tunnel, drinking muddy water and losing all sense of time as he desperately prayed for rescue.",
  "key_points": [
    "Sanjay Sah survived 10 days trapped in Nepal tunnel",
    "Glacial collapse triggered disaster killing 1,429",
    "Sah and Kabir Maharjan provided mutual support"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The survivor's account underscores the human cost of the disaster and highlights the importance of sustained search and rescue efforts to find potential survivors.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "'Second life' - Nepal tunnel survivor recalls ordeal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/second-life-nepal-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal-7068006",
        "published": "2026-09-13T05:33:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "'Second life': Nepal tunnel survivor recalls ordeal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/second-life-nepal-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal-7071478",
        "published": "2026-09-13T05:59:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "'Second life': Nepal tunnel survivor Sanjay Sah recalls ordeal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/second-life-nepal-tunnel-survivor-sanjay-sah-recalls-ordeal",
        "published": "2026-09-13T08:27:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Nepal tunnel survivor recalls ordeal as a ‘second life’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/nepal-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal-as-a-second-life",
        "published": "2026-09-13T09:21:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}