Rescue crews in Nepal have pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel, nine days after devastating floods tore across the country, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving thousands still unaccounted for.
Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane told The Associated Press that search teams heard men’s voices coming from inside the tunnel on Friday morning. Photos released by the Nepal Army showed a rescuer carrying one of the workers on his back, with soldiers supporting the effort on both sides.
The rescue has fueled fresh hope that dozens of others believed to be trapped in the tunnel may still be found alive. Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said one of the rescued workers reported that more people were alive inside, adding that the search operation is continuing.
Soldiers rescue a worker alive from a tunnel during an ongoing operation at the Trishuli-3A hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Sept. 4, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)
“I can’t explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to God,” Amir Maharjan, whose brother was among the two men rescued, told the AP.
The two workers were airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, the AP reported, citing a statement from the prime minister’s office. One of them was listed in critical condition.
Authorities said the men worked at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.
On Sept. 4, 2026, a rescuer carried one of the workers who had been trapped for days in the tunnel at the Trishuli-3A hydropower project, as soldiers moved alongside him. (Nepal Army via AP)
The AP reported that about 115 people are believed to remain trapped in the Trishuli 3A tunnel alone, citing the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.
In total, authorities say there are about 900 workers missing from 12 hydropower plants in Nepal, with about 500 of them believed to be trapped in tunnels.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina wrote on his Facebook page that officials “are waiting for the rescue of more and more people.”
“A heartfelt thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly day and night to rescue two people alive!” Timilsina added.
One of the workers, covered in mud, is lifted out of the tunnel by rescue teams on Sept. 4, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)
The AP reported that at least 1,287 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing after the Aug. 26 floods, which scientists believe were likely triggered by a glacier collapse.
China said on Wednesday that on the Tibet side of the border, 21 people were killed and 541 are missing.
Nepal’s disaster agency chief told Reuters on Friday that the flooding has likely caused at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees (about $2.5 billion) in damage to infrastructure and property.
