Nepal tunnel rescue: Two men found alive nine days after Trishuli flood

Nepali rescuers pulled two men alive from the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel after nine days. Their survival has lifted hopes as teams keep searching for more people feared trapped.Stock photo used for illustrationTwo men were rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in central Nepal on Thursday, nine days after a flash flood tore through the Trishuli River corridor. The Nepal Army identified them as Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor, and Sanjay Sah, 30, a foreman.The rescue came as security forces continued search operations at the site with specialised equipment after making contact with people believed to be trapped inside. The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, have also left a wider trail of destruction across northern and central Nepal.Maharjan's wife, Hira Shobha, said her husband, who is from Kathmandu, had been given a "second life" and thanked the rescuers. "He has returned with a second life. We are extremely happy," she was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. "We had been waiting. I am now going to the hospital to see my husband." She said the days had been extremely painful for the family. "It was so difficult to get through those days. It wasn't one day or two days. We could neither eat nor sleep." She added, "We believed he was still in there. We believed he would come back. We suffered because it took a little longer." Thanking the rescue team, she said, "It seems it takes a long time to carry out a rescue like this. They risked their own lives to save him. My heartfelt thanks to the entire rescue team."Sah, who is from Saptari district in Madhesh province, said he stayed back as others fled because he felt responsible for everyone's safety. He told a Nepali Army medical team after being rescued, "I was working in the control room. My responsibility was to save everyone's life." He said he told everyone to run after the accident, but by the time others had left, it was too late for him to escape. Sah said he spent his time inside reciting a mantra while waiting to be rescued. Asked how many people might still be trapped, Sah said he had heard or communicated with three or four people nearby. "There were only three or four people with whom we were able to communicate, nearby, by talking or making noises," he said. He also said more people could be trapped deeper inside the tunnel, including near the powerhouse. "Not everyone may have been able to escape. The tunnel is very long," he said, adding that the force of the floodwater could have carried people further in. According to the Kathmandu Post, rescuers had earlier heard voices from inside the tunnel and established communication with people believed to be trapped there, following which the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force intensified efforts.According to the Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal, more than 600 people working at 11 hydropower projects remain missing. The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,282 on Friday, while more than 4,700 people are still missing. The rescue of Maharjan and Sah is part of the continuing operation in a disaster that has hit towns, villages and hydropower sites across northern and central Nepal. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 4, 2026 12:08 IST