Two Workers Pulled Alive From Nepal Hydropower Tunnel Nine Days After Deadly Floods

Search and rescue teams pulled two men alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower construction site nine days after flash floods devastated parts of Nepal, killing more than 1,300 people. The two survivors, mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah, 30, and mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, 45, were found early Friday in the project's main tunnel.

The floods, believed to have been triggered by the partial collapse of a glacier, sent water, rock and mud racing down Himalayan valleys, devastating entire communities. At least 557 workers from the Trishuli 3A project remain missing, with roughly 115 believed to have been trapped in the main tunnel. Sah, in stable condition, told rescuers he had helped others escape before becoming trapped himself, and said he kept his spirits up by chanting Hindu mantras while waiting to be found. One of the survivors told rescue teams that more people remain alive inside the tunnel, giving hope that further rescues may still be possible.