Two Workers Rescued Alive from Tunnel in Nepal After Nine Days
Two workers have been rescued alive from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal, nine days after devastating flash floods and landslides. Rescue workers brought them out from about 170 metres inside the tunnel after an operation that continued throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Nuwakot District Police Chief Bipin Regmi said rescuers heard human voices from inside while drilling through the tunnel to search for the missing workers. They then created a narrow passage and brought the two workers out one by one. They were immediately provided with medical treatment.
On August 26, devastating flash floods and landslides caused widespread destruction in the Trishuli River valley. Mud, rocks and debris blocked the entrances to various structures and tunnels of the hydropower project, leaving many workers missing.
Rescuers said they have heard more human voices from inside the tunnel. This has raised fresh hopes of rescuing other workers who have been trapped there for days. The rescue operation has been intensified.
Officials involved in the rescue operation said the first 48 hours are extremely crucial in confined spaces such as tunnels. After that, surviving for a long period in darkness and adverse conditions becomes extremely difficult. From that perspective, rescuing the two workers alive after nine days is being regarded as an exceptional success. Rescuers hope that if the locations of others trapped deep inside the tunnel can be identified quickly, several more people may be brought out alive. To this end, efforts to clear mud and rocks and enter the tunnel are continuing.
