Nepal Rescuers Intensify Search for Trapped Workers

Rescue teams in Nepal are urgently working to locate dozens of workers trapped inside hydropower tunnels following catastrophic flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. Two men, Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were rescued alive from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project after spending over a week underground.

Maharjan was hospitalized in critical condition, while Sah was airlifted for medical attention and was able to walk and speak at the scene. Sah, a mechanical foreman, survived by maintaining hope and communicating with other trapped workers.

Authorities are still searching for at least 39 workers believed to be trapped in the tunnels, with the rescue operation complicated by mud and debris. The floods have resulted in 1,287 confirmed deaths across Nepal, with over 5,000 people still missing.

On the Tibetan side, 31 deaths have been reported, and 531 individuals are unaccounted for. The disaster has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, complicating rescue efforts.