Kathmandu— Two workers, Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were rescued alive from the Trishuli 3-A Hydropower Project tunnel in Nepal's Rasuwa district after being trapped for nine days following catastrophic Bhotekoshi flash floods and landslides, while a third worker was found dead during the search.

Rescue Breakthrough After Nine Days

Rescuers heard voices from inside the Trishuli 3-A Hydropower Project tunnel early Friday morning, marking a critical breakthrough after nine days of searching for workers trapped by the Bhotekoshi flash floods and landslides in Rasuwa district. The tunnel, stretching over four kilometers, had been filled with water and debris, making access extremely difficult for the joint rescue team of 75 Nepali Army personnel, 18 Armed Police Force members, and technical experts.

Brigadier General Rajaram Basnet, spokesperson for the Nepali Army Headquarters, confirmed that voices from inside the tunnel led rescuers to call out, "Don't panic, we are rescuing you," to which a brief reply of "Okay" was heard. This moment of hope came after days of searching through flooded and debris-filled infrastructure, with rescuers initially fearing the worst for those believed trapped underground.

Survivor Accounts and Medical Condition

Sanjay Sah, the 30-year-old mechanical foreman from Saptari, described his ordeal in a video circulating online, stating he had urged others to evacuate during the disaster but could not escape himself. "It was my responsibility to save everyone's life," he said, estimating that 40 to 45 people were present when the disaster struck, though typically only a small number of workers would be there.

Sah reported chanting Hindu mantras to maintain hope while remaining in contact with three or four other workers inside the tunnel. He was airlifted to Birendra Army Hospital in Kathmandu, where he is in stable condition. Kabir Maharjan, the 45-year-old mechanical supervisor from Kathmandu, was found in critical condition and received intensive care. His wife, Hirashobha Maharjan, expressed immense relief at his survival, noting he initially could not recognize her but is now improving.

Ongoing Rescue Efforts Across Multiple Sites

The rescue operation has expanded to multiple hydropower projects in the affected region. At Trishuli 3-B, a joint team of 89 Nepali Army personnel, three civilians, and the project's managing director cleared debris and advanced 700 meters through Audit Tunnel 1 to establish a link with Trishuli 3-A.

At the Langtang Hydropower Project, a team recovered two bodies, while at the Chilime Hydropower Project, foreign personnel used generators and mud pumps to advance 100 meters inside the tunnel. The Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project saw a team using rafts and boats to search inside the tunnel, with efforts to pump water out of the structure.

The government continues to search for 4,898 people still missing following the Bhotekoshi floods, with 1,325 bodies recovered and 3,655 people accommodated in holding centers across Nepal.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.