'World Hasn't Seen This Before': Expert On "Extraordinary" Nepal Rescue Op - NDTV

**Extraordinary Tunnel Rescue Highlights Nepal’s Flood Response**

Heavy monsoon rains and unprecedented flash floods swept across central Nepal in late August, overwhelming communities and crippling infrastructure. Among the worst‑hit sites was a 600‑metre vehicular tunnel that forms part of a regional highway and a nearby hydro‑electric project. The torrent caused a massive landslide that collapsed a section of the tunnel, trapping a 34‑year‑old civil engineer, **Bikash Shrestha**, inside for nine days. As rescue teams raced against time, the operation quickly evolved into a complex, multi‑agency effort involving the Nepalese Army, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Authority (NDRRA), local fire‑fighters, and a network of volunteer engineers coordinated through a dedicated WhatsApp group.

The scale and speed of the response prompted **Dr. Prakash Mishra**, a senior disaster‑management expert with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to describe the operation as “something the world hasn’t seen before.” According to Dr. Mishra, the rescue combined real‑time geological monitoring, remote‑sensing drones, and an unprecedented level of cross‑border technical collaboration, with engineers from India, Bangladesh and the United States providing instant advice on shoring, ventilation and excavation techniques. The WhatsApp group, comprising more than 200 engineers, shared live schematics, soil‑stability data, and step‑by‑step instructions that guided on‑ground crews, allowing them to stabilize the collapsed segment and safely widen the access shaft without further endangering the trapped worker.

Shrestha’s own account underscores both the physical and psychological dimensions of the ordeal. He told reporters that, to maintain his composure, he **“chanted Hare Krishna for nine days,”** a practice that kept his spirits up while he rationed limited supplies of water and food. Rescuers finally reached him on **January 22**, after carefully removing debris and reinforcing the tunnel roof. He emerged with only minor injuries, a testament to the combined effectiveness of the rescue plan and his own resilience. The operation, hailed as a model of disaster‑response ingenuity, is already influencing protocols for tunnel safety and emergency coordination throughout the Himalayan region.