Nepal Rescuers Pull Two Workers Alive From Flooded Tunnel After Nine Days

Nine days after Nepal’s deadly floods, rescuers pulled two workers alive from a debris-choked hydropower tunnel, proving persistence can still beat disaster.

Story Snapshot

Two workers were rescued alive nine days after floods hit Nepal’s hydropower tunnels.
Nepal’s government and army led round-the-clock tunnel operations using pumps and heavy machines.
Officials named rescuing trapped hydropower workers as the top national priority.
Conflicting early counts show the crisis moved fast and numbers shifted across project sites.

Rescuers Pull Survivors From Trishuli Tunnel

Rescue teams in Nepal brought two men out alive from a tunnel at a hydropower site nine days after flash floods ripped through mountain valleys. Reuters reported the live rescues as part of a larger push to reach people stuck underground across several projects. The operation followed days of mud clearing and water pumping to open a safe path. The rescues offered a rare bright moment after a week of grim news and difficult searches in hard terrain.

The government said saving trapped workers inside hydropower plants was the highest priority. Nepal’s energy minister stated that teams were focused on tunnel sites where debris and floodwater sealed entries and exits. The Nepal Army and allied crews used drilling rigs, excavators, and pumps to break into blocked sections and move air inside. At one tunnel, responders reached the upper area first, then dug down through packed sediment to create a narrow but stable rescue route.

National Response Spans Multiple Hydropower Sites

Officials directed rescue efforts at several named projects after the August floods slammed runs of river facilities. Reuters said operations were underway at multiple hydropower sites, including key tunnels in the Trishuli corridor. The prime minister’s office praised soldiers who had pulled large groups to safety under severe conditions earlier in the week. The Associated Press reported that army teams worked with foreign experts to push into blocked areas that remained dangerous and unstable.

Crews faced a shifting picture of who was missing and where they might be. Local reporting said some employees at the Bhotekoshi and Rasuwagadhi areas were unaccounted for after the surge. Journalists noted that in at least one tunnel, a drone search found no one inside, suggesting some missing workers were not underground but displaced at surface sites. Early figures varied, as agencies sorted tunnel entrapments from broader missing-persons lists across several districts.

How Teams Opened Paths Inside Mud-Filled Tunnels

Rescuers confronted tunnels packed with mud, stones, and water. The Nepal Army described efforts to clear sediment and drain flooded sections to reduce pressure and allow safe entry. The Straits Times reported that teams broke through high sections first to pump air, then used heavy machinery to dig down and widen paths for stretchers and gear. These steps lowered the risk of fresh collapses. They also helped protect workers from bad air and falling debris as teams moved deeper inside.

🇳🇵 Trapped tunnel workers rescued in Nepal 'miracle'

Two hydropower workers have been pulled alive from a tunnel buried by debris in Nepal, a rare ray of hope on the tenth day of rescue efforts after catastrophic Himalayan flooding. pic.twitter.com/HMAvNRzlLy

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 4, 2026

This disaster again showed how monsoon floods can cripple run-of-river hydropower. A peer-reviewed study reported that earlier floods damaged dozens of projects, causing heavy losses and dangerous conditions for workers. That pattern matched what unfolded here: fast water, sudden debris flows, and narrow rescue windows. Officials and plant operators now face questions about alarms, staging of emergency supplies, and tunnel design features that could improve survival and speed access when minutes matter.

Why This Matters Beyond Nepal

Hydropower supports growth and powers homes across South Asia, but flood risk is rising in mountain regions. When tunnels become traps, workers bear the danger first. Governments, companies, and aid partners can apply these lessons anywhere dams and tunnels meet heavy rain and unstable slopes. Clear rosters, tested warnings, stocked safety gear, and mapped access points cut confusion in the first hours. Faster starts make more rescues like today’s possible, before mud hardens and oxygen runs low.