Nine days after disaster, two pulled alive from Nepal hydropower tunnel - Reuters

**Nine days after a tunnel collapse at Nepal’s Trishuli hydropower project, two workers were rescued alive, officials said on Thursday.** The Nepalese army, assisted by Indian rescue teams and specialists from several other countries, pulled the survivors from a 300‑metre section of a flooded tunnel that had caved in on Jan. 26, killing at least 14 people and injuring several others. The two men — a 35‑year‑old Indian national and a Nepali contractor — emerged after a grueling operation that involved drilling a narrow shaft, lowering a robotic camera, and finally creating a 2‑metre‑wide escape passage. Their survival was confirmed by medical teams at the rescue site before they were air‑lifted to a Kathmandu hospital for treatment.

The collapse, triggered by a sudden surge of water from the Trishuli River, trapped the workers in darkness and rising floodwater. Rescue crews worked around the clock in hazardous conditions, deploying sonar equipment and divers to locate the victims. The Indian engineer who was rescued recounted that he survived by chanting “Hare Krishna” continuously for nine days, a practice he said helped him stay focused and calm despite extreme dehydration and hypothermia. Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Water and Irrigation praised the multinational effort, noting that expertise from the Indian Army’s engineering corps, the United States’ National Disaster Response Force, and local Nepali specialists proved decisive in navigating the complex geology of the tunnel.

The successful rescue has been hailed as a testament to regional cooperation and the resilience of the workers. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced a full investigation into the cause of the collapse, emphasizing stricter safety protocols for ongoing and future hydropower projects. Families of the victims, as well as the broader construction community, have expressed both relief at the survivors’ return and concern over the safety standards that allowed the tragedy. The two rescued men remain under medical observation, while authorities continue to recover bodies and assess structural damage to the tunnel.