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2 rescued from Nepal hydropower tunnel 9 days after floods, contact established with others
According to the officials, the two men were identified as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.
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Two workers were rescued alive from the Trishul 3A tunnel in Nepal, nine days after a flash flood hit the country on August 26, trapping hundreds of workers inside. The rescuers have established communication with the others who remain trapped inside.
Sharing the update on Friday, Nepal Army Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet said the two men, who were trapped after the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa on 10 Bhadra, were rescued by a joint search team. The army official said further search and rescue operations were underway.
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Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane shared the update about a second rescue on his Facebook page soon after army spokesperson Basnet informed about the first worker being pulled out alive.
According to the officials, the two men were identified as Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharjan. Of these, one is a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. Both men were placed under medical observation.
Visuals from the site showed the rescued worker, covered in mud, being carried on a rescuer’s shoulder.
557 missing from Nepal's hydropower project
As many as 557 workers, who were working on the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, remain missing, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal. Of these, 115 are believed to be trapped inside the main tunnel along the Trishuli River.
The search and rescue operations continue as rescuers believe some people may still be alive inside the tunnel.
Nepal flood toll
According to the country’s disaster management agency, at least 1,259 people were killed and over 5,000 remain missing after a glacier collapse is suspected to have led to the devastating flash floods.
China, as of late Wednesday, said 21 people were killed and 541 were missing on the Tibet side of the border.
About 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to local authorities.
