Nepal search teams rescue two workers from hydropower tunnel after flood

Search teams have rescued two men from a hydropower tunnel buried by debris during a flash flood that occurred in Nepal nine days ago. The two workers were pulled alive from the main tunnel at the construction site of the Trishuli 3A plant early on Friday. This rescue raises hope of recovering more of the hundreds of people believed to remain trapped in hydropower tunnels. The flood, believed to have been triggered by the partial collapse of a glacier, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people and devastated entire communities as water, rock, and mud flowed down Himalayan valleys. A video released by Nepal’s Ministry of Energy showed cheers as one man emerged through a small muddy opening. He was assisted by rescuers and carried on the backs of emergency workers, raising his hand as he was taken towards a helicopter. A second man, covered in mud, pressed his hands together in prayer as he was carried away on a stretcher. The rescued men were identified as Sanjay Shah, 30, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor, by Nepal's Minister of Home Affairs, Sudan Gurung. Maharjan’s brother, Amir, expressed relief, stating, "I am so happy, my heart is lighter," according to the AFP news agency. The Nepali Army reported that the two men were receiving medical treatment and would be taken to a hospital in Kathmandu, while search and rescue operations continue. They are the first to be rescued from hydropower stations or construction projects in Nepal. At least 557 workers are reported missing from the Trishuli 3A project, with about 115 believed to be trapped in the main tunnel. An army spokesperson indicated that one of the survivors mentioned that more people remain alive inside the tunnel. Nepal’s Communication Minister, Bikram Timilsina, stated that officials remain hopeful for the rescue of more workers, writing on social media, "We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people." Rescuers have been searching for survivors after the disaster on August 26 left over 5,000 people missing in Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet. Nepal has largely declined international assistance; however, Australia sent a team of drone specialists to the country on Friday. The 15-member team, primarily consisting of state emergency operatives, is joining the rescue operations at the request of Nepal’s government. Thirty-six Australian citizens are reported missing. Jeremy Fewtrell, the commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales, stated, "We are still holding out hope that people might still be surviving in some sort of locations and hopefully this team can help locate any of those people," during a press briefing at Sydney Airport. At least 1,287 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster in Nepal, with tens of thousands displaced. China reported 21 fatalities and 541 missing on the Tibet side.