Two men rescued alive after nine days trapped inside Trishuli 3A tunnel

Two workers trapped inside the tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project in Rasuwa have been rescued alive, 10 days after a devastating flood swept through the area.

The Nepal Army and Armed Police Force rescued the two men on Friday morning from the project tunnel. The rescued workers have been identified as Sanjay Shah of Saptari, a mechanical foreman at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), and Kabir Maharjan, an NEA supervisor.

According to engineer and lawmaker Shriram Neupane, who has been involved in the search and rescue operation at the site, the two men were brought out of the tunnel alive by around 9:20 am Friday. They received initial medical treatment at the site before being airlifted to Kathmandu for further care.

The rescue comes after a massive flood in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26 (Bhadra 10) caused extensive damage in the area and left workers trapped inside the hydropower project's tunnel. Authorities had estimated that around 40 people could have been stranded in the project area.

Signs of life raised hopes

The rescue operation intensified on Thursday. On Friday morning, rescuers detected voices coming from inside the tunnel.

Neupane said the Nepal Army rescue team reported hearing people speaking from inside the tunnel. According to him, rescuers called out to those trapped inside, telling them not to panic and that efforts were underway to bring them out. A response from inside confirmed that people were still alive.

The rescue teams then pushed deeper into the tunnel while excavators cleared rocks, debris and other blockages.

By Thursday, security personnel had reportedly advanced roughly 10 metres into the upper section of the tunnel and were working to reach the tunnel floor and the trapped workers.

Authorities have carried out several measures to make the operation possible despite the difficult conditions inside the flood-damaged project.

The Energy Ministry said debris blocking the tunnel entrance was being continuously removed, allowing Nepal Army personnel to advance inside. On Thursday, crews also worked to drain accumulated water from the tunnel.

Officials have been coordinating with the families of missing workers and arranging access to the project's power-house site, which was severely damaged by the flood.

The search for any other people who may still be trapped inside the tunnel remains ongoing.