Two Workers Pulled Alive From Trishuli-3 Tunnel After Nepal Flood

Overview

• Rescue teams confirmed on Friday that they extracted two men alive from the Trishuli-3 tunnel; the government identified them as Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharjan and said they will be taken to Kathmandu.
• Teams reached the trapped workers after days of digging through waterlogged mud with excavators and controlled explosives and after deep-rescue specialists reported first contact with survivors.
• Nepal’s official toll from the 26 August wall of water, ice and debris stands at about 1,280 dead and more than 5,600 missing, including over 900 workers tied to hydroelectric sites.
• Search-and-rescue operations remain active across multiple damaged hydropower projects, with technical support reported from experts from India, China and South Korea.
• The concentrated siting of tunnels in steep Himalayan valleys left many construction workers vulnerable and the event is likely to prolong recovery, prompt damage assessments of hydropower infrastructure, and deepen the humanitarian needs of displaced families.