Rescuers in Nepal have pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel, nine days after catastrophic floods swept through the Himalayan region, raising hopes that more people trapped underground could still be rescued.
The workers were rescued Friday from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Search teams reportedly heard voices from inside the tunnel earlier in the morning, helping rescuers locate the trapped men.
Officials identified the survivors as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. Both were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment, with one of the men reported to be in critical condition.
The rescue has brought renewed hope to families waiting for news of hundreds of workers still unaccounted for following the floods. Authorities estimate that about 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
At the Trishuli 3A project alone, about 115 people are believed to remain trapped inside the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal. Rescue teams are continuing to clear mud and debris in an effort to reach them.
Nepal’s devastating floods struck on August 26, with officials saying the disaster was likely triggered by a glacier collapse. The floods swept away villages and buried large areas beneath mud and debris.
The disaster has caused an enormous humanitarian and economic toll. Nepal’s disaster management agency says at least 1,287 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing, while the flooding has caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damage to infrastructure and property.
The successful rescue of the two workers is particularly significant because they survived for nine days in extremely difficult conditions. Their discovery has encouraged officials and rescue teams to continue searching for others who may still be alive.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said authorities remain hopeful that additional workers can be rescued as operations continue.
The latest development offers a rare moment of hope amid one of Nepal’s worst recent natural disasters, as emergency teams race against time to reach those still trapped and reunite them with their families.
Swifteradio.com
