Two workers rescued alive from Nepal hydropower tunnel after flash floods

There is renewed hope amid the devastation wreaked by the flash flooding disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border as the world witnesses “one of the great rescues of the 21st century”.

Nine days after the deadly floods, two workers were pulled out alive from a flooded hydropower tunnel in Nepal.

Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharajan were rescued from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday, more than a week after a glacial collapse created a torrent of mud, water and debris that swept away buildings, roads and bridges along the border between Nepal and China.

Hundreds more employees who worked in various hydropower projects along the banks of Nepal’s Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers remain missing, but the Australian engineer and geologist Arnold Dix, who was invited by Nepali authorities to advise on the Trishuli 3A operation, says Friday’s successful rescue will help lift spirits.

“We’ve found two people alive, so that gives us hope,” Dix says.

“After more than a week, everyone’s exhausted, but this spurs us on to try even harder and it now also gives us focus for how we might approach other rescues in other locations.

“We now have proof that people can survive this long.”

Dix has previously assisted at other disaster sites such as the 2023 Silkyara tunnel operation, where all 41 workers were rescued after a tunnel collapsed in India, and the tunnels of Ground Zero after 9/11.

But with almost 30 hydropower projects reported damaged, the Nepal floods are unlike any other disaster he has worked on.

“Normally, I deal with a single disaster – this is 27 concurrently,” he says.

On his specific rescue operation, workers had already had trouble identifying the location of Trishuli 3A. They then had to work out which tunnel would give access to the power station before the digging could begin.

But as the process began, rocks the size of vehicles blocked rescuers, forcing them to use explosives. This isn’t the preferred method, as it can pose risks to those on the other side, Dix says.

When they reached the tunnel, rescuers found it was full of water, forcing them to dig an emergency trench to try to drain it. They worried the workers inside could have already drowned, but on Friday morning about 50 metres in, they reported hearing a faint voice.

The team called out, “Don’t panic, we are rescuing you.” From inside the tunnel a voice replied: “OK.”

Watching the video of the men pulled from the tunnel alive reminds Dix of why he does this.

“We do it because we’re decent human beings and that’s what human beings do: help one another,” he says.

“This is a real triumph for humans and humanity.”

Another 40 workers are believed to be trapped inside Trishuli 3A and rescuers face significant risks. If there is water in the tunnel ahead of the team and they break rock, they could drown, and as they are now below flood-plain level, water could also inundate rescuers from behind.

“Yes, we have the reward of having rescued two people now, but we have to be so careful,” Dix says.

“The team’s lives are at risk right now and if they can’t get out in time they will drown.

“Like, this is not a drill, we are witnessing one of the great rescues of the 21st century.”

The rescue team was on Friday tunnelling to what is known as the “Goldilocks zone” at the top of the 11-storey Trishuli 3A power station, where they are hoping to find more survivors.

More than 270 people have already been rescued from various hydropower projects. At least 1,294 people were killed in the floods and more than 5,000 remain missing, according to the country’s disaster management agency.

Thirty-eight Australian government officials, disaster response specialists and humanitarian workers are now on the ground in Nepal assisting in search-and-rescue and relief efforts. The latest cohort to arrive – a 15-person Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team – landed in Kathmandu late on Friday night. A further seven disaster victim identification specialists from the federal police will leave Australia on Saturday.

As at 4 September, the Nepali government has reported 1,294 confirmed deaths, while 5,053 people remain missing, including 583 foreign nationals.

As at 5 September, the Chinese government reported 31 confirmed deaths and 531 missing people, with 261 of those being foreign citizens.

Additional reporting by Ben Doherty