Two workers have been rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project in Nepal, nine days after devastating floods swept through the region, authorities said.
The rescue operation, led by the Nepal Army, comes amid a massive search for people still missing after the floods, which have killed more than 1,200 people, according to reports.
One of the rescued workers was identified as Sanjay Shah, a mechanical foreman with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Senior NEA official Suresh Raut said Shah was receiving oxygen after being brought out of the tunnel.
Authorities later identified the second survivor as Kabir Maharjan.
Both workers were flown directly by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu. They suffered injuries to their hands and legs, apparently sustained while crawling through the tunnel. Officials said they were also suffering from a lack of oxygen.
Faint voices raised hopes for more survivors
Rescuers said a crucial breakthrough came when they heard sounds from inside the tunnel. They called out to the trapped workers, telling them not to panic and that rescuers had arrived.
A faint response—“OK”—was then heard from inside, according to the BBC.
The discovery raised hopes that other workers may still be alive.
NEA officials believe as many as 39 workers remain inside the Trishuli-3A tunnel, although they have been unable to determine how many are still alive. Authorities said they hope to rescue at least 42 people from the hydropower facility.
Engineers have been pumping air into the extensive tunnel networks of hydropower projects located along Nepal’s river systems to improve conditions for those trapped underground.
The Trishuli-3A project is among several locations where rescue teams are searching for missing workers following the catastrophic flooding.
Rescue operations remain underway as authorities race against time to locate and evacuate those who may still be trapped.
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