Nepal Rescues Sanjay Sah And Kabir Maharjan Alive From Trishuli 3A Tunnel After Floods

Two men freed in tunnel

Two workers, Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, north of Kathmandu, ten days after floods swept the area on August 26. The 20Minutos report said Sah spent the ten days trapped underground and told a Nepal Army team, "I couldn’t simply run away alone," after being brought to safety. Sah said he lost the chance to escape because he stayed in the control room warning colleagues, adding, "My responsibility was to save everyone’s life," as rescue teams continued searching for other people believed to remain inside.

Aajil reported that the two men were pulled alive from the main tunnel at the construction site of the Trishuli 3A plant early on Friday, and identified Sah as a mechanical foreman and Maharjan as a mechanical supervisor. The rescue unfolded as Nepal’s search and body-recovery efforts continued across hydropower sites, with 42 workers and employees initially believed trapped in the underground plant of the project and emergency teams focused on reaching others.

Reporting for this section20MinutosAajil

Voices, officials, and hope

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane, described as an engineer involved in the search operations, posted that rescuers heard voices from inside the tunnel and wrote, "It has been confirmed that more than one person's voice has been heard from inside."

In a separate account, 20Minutos said Nepali teams had heard voices coming from inside the tunnel, which raised hopes of finding more survivors, and quoted Neupane saying the rescue team intensified efforts after receiving information that human voices were heard.

ABC News reported that Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said officials remained hopeful, writing on Facebook, "We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people," as teams continued trying to reach additional trapped workers.

Aajil said one survivor told rescuers more people remained alive inside the tunnel, and it reported that at least 557 workers were missing from the Trishuli 3A project with about 115 believed trapped in the main tunnel.

While the rescues revived hope, the broader disaster toll remained severe, with Global Times citing Nepal Police figures of 1,118 dead and 4,858 missing after the Aug. 26 mudslide.

Reporting for this sectionABC NewsAajil

Wider disaster stakes and rebuilding

Beyond the tunnel rescues, ABC News said Nepal’s flash flood death toll climbed to 1,252 with an additional 4,216 people believed still missing, citing the Nepali Government’s National Disaster Management Authority update as of Thursday at noon. Al Jazeera reported that Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 1,252 bodies had been recovered and that more than 1,280 people had been killed with over 5,600 missing across Nepal and Tibet, including at least 550 foreign nationals. Al Jazeera also said Dharma Raj Upreti told Reuters that about 20,000 houses would have to be rebuilt, including 7,500 destroyed, and that authorities were trying to identify safer areas to relocate communities and build new settlements.

In the tunnel-focused rescue effort, Aajil said the Nepali Army reported that one survivor told rescuers more people remained alive inside the tunnel, while "search and rescue operations are ongoing." As Nepal prepared for longer-term recovery, ABC News said Prime Minister Shah said his government would begin focusing on "rehabilitation" as the length of time since the initial disaster grows.

Reporting for this sectionABC NewsAl Jazeera