Nepal Rescue Teams Save Two Workers From Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Tunnel

Emergency rescue teams in Nepal pulled two male workers from a mud-swamped tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday. Army officials identified the survivors as foreman Sanjay Shah, 30, and supervisor Kabir Maharjan, 45. Their recovery provides a rare moment of hope as search efforts continue across remote mountainous districts following the August 26 disaster.

Voices in the Dark at Trishuli 3A

The breakthrough came early Friday morning after rescue teams heard voices from inside the heavily blocked and mud-filled Trishuli 3A tunnel. Soldiers and specialist teams had been working around the clock using controlled blasts, excavators, and drilling equipment to clear debris and pump air into the sealed underground chambers.

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane shared updates from the rescue site on social media, detailing the moment responders made contact with the trapped men. According to Neupane, when the rescue team called out Don’t panic, we are rescuing, a response of yes or OK was received from within the darkness.

Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed that one of the survivors reported communicating with three or four other people trapped nearby by shouting through the gaps. Both rescued workers were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu for urgent medical treatment.

Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet: Death Toll Mounts to 469, International Relief Efforts Underway – Nepal Floods 2023, Tibet Floods, Himalayan Disasters

Surviving a Week Underground

In video footage released by Nepal’s army and disaster authorities, rescuers hoisted Kabir Maharjan from a small vertical opening in the ground as bystanders cheered. Sanjay Shah recounted that his responsibility in the control room had driven him to warn others before attempting to escape himself.

“When there was such a big accident, it was not right for me to run away. I had to save everyone. While trying to get everyone out, I told them that there had been a major accident at the dam and urged everyone to run. In doing so, I lost time. In the end, I couldn’t get out myself.”

Sanjay Shah, foreman, via The Guardian

To keep calm during more than a week in total darkness, Shah spent his time reciting mantras.

Broader Scale of the Himalayan Disaster

The August 26 catastrophe was triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse on the border between Nepal and China-controlled Tibet, sending a massive surge of water, rock, and mud coursing down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river valleys. Local disaster management authorities reported that the confirmed death toll in Nepal reached at least 1,287, with more than 5,000 people still unaccounted for.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese state media and officials reported 21 deaths and 541 missing persons, including foreign nationals and pilgrims visiting sacred sites such as Mount Kailash. Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated that property, housing, and infrastructure suffered at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees ($2.5 billion) in damage, with roughly 20,000 homes requiring reconstruction.

Broad Peak Rescue Operations Continue Following Deadly Pakistan Avalanche

Ongoing Search Operations and Foreign Assistance

Authorities estimate that approximately 900 workers remain missing across 12 remote hydropower projects in the Himalayas, with roughly 500 believed trapped inside subterranean tunnels. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal noted that about 557 workers are missing from projects along the Trishuli River alone, including roughly 115 estimated inside the Trishuli 3A main tunnel.

Rescue operations have involved specialized teams from foreign experts working alongside the Nepali Army and police forces. While heavy monsoon rains and rising river levels have periodically forced teams to suspend excavation work, communication minister Bikram Timilsina emphasized that officials remain dedicated to finding more survivors.