Two people have been rescued from Nepal’s Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station in Rasuwa district, nine days after devastating flash floods struck the area. Rescue teams said they had heard additional voices from deep inside the tunnel, raising hopes that more workers could still be alive.
Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane, an engineer who has been involved in the rescue operation, identified the two rescued workers as mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan.
Sah was rescued first, followed by Maharjan.
Since the August 26 disaster, at least 40 people have reportedly been missing at the Trishuli 3A project, while more than 900 workers remain unaccounted for across at least six hydropower projects in Nepal.
Earlier, Neupane said rescue teams had heard multiple voices from inside the tunnel as they advanced further into the passage. According to him, rescuers told those inside not to panic and assured them that efforts were underway to bring them out, receiving a response from within the tunnel.
He said teams from the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force were stepping up operations and entering the tunnel to locate those trapped. Neupane described the voices as an encouraging sign and expressed hope that the workers would be brought out safely.
He also thanked the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, technical teams and other personnel involved in the operation, saying he hoped the rescue effort would soon produce more positive news.
The operation has been complicated by damaged infrastructure, adverse weather and the difficulty of reaching the underground facilities. The Nepali Army and Armed Police Force have nevertheless intensified their efforts, deploying heavy machinery and specialised equipment to remove mud and debris blocking the passages.
Meanwhile, a tragic discovery was made at another hydropower project. At the Rasuwa Langtang Khola Hydropower Project, a Nepal Army search-and-rescue team recovered two bodies from inside a tunnel after advancing approximately 150 metres into the passage.
As many as 41 people working at the 20-MW project remain uncontacted, leaving their families anxiously awaiting news as rescuers continue trying to reach those who may still be trapped.
For families of the missing workers, each update has brought both hope and anxiety. Relatives of those trapped at Trishuli 3A have been visiting government offices and Army Headquarters in search of information. Some have also travelled to the affected areas while rescue operations remain underway.
The wife of an engineer trapped inside the project said several days had passed without significant progress, but the family continued to hope that the workers would survive.
As of Friday, Nepal’s death toll stood at 1,259, while 5,053 people remained unaccounted for.
