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Two Workers Pulled Alive From Trishuli Tunnel After Deadly Himalayan Floods

The rare rescue suggests survivors may still be reachable and is driving intensified tunnel searches, expanded DNA identification and urgent reconstruction planning.

Overview

  • A sudden ice‑and‑rock collapse near the NepalTibet border on August 26 unleashed a fast debris flood down the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli river system that wrecked villages, roads and hydropower infrastructure.
  • Rescuers pulled two men from the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel on Friday after nine days trapped in mud and rubble, and teams say they heard other voices inside the tunnel.
  • Official tallies have climbed to more than 1,300 confirmed dead in Nepal with roughly 5,000 people still missing, and thousands more displaced across several districts.
  • Hundreds of hydropower workers remain unaccounted for as tunnels and underground powerhouses were filled with debris; crews are using excavators, controlled blasting, air piping and life‑detection equipment in risky, slow clears.
  • Authorities are conducting large forensic efforts including DNA sampling and temporary burials, facing overwhelmed morgues while governments and international specialists offer tunnel experts, drones, forensic kits and bridge equipment as damage estimates run into the multi‑billion‑dollar range.