Rescuers in Nepal pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel on Friday as emergency teams continued an operation to reach others believed to be trapped inside.
The two men were rescued from the Trishuli 3A tunnel nine days after floods, likely caused by a glacier collapse, devastated towns and swept away villages on August 26.
Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane shared news of the second rescue shortly after army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the first worker’s rescue. Officials identified the two men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.
Local television news channels showed images of the first rescued worker covered in mud and being carried from the site on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both men were reported to be in stable condition and were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu.
🚨 Two trapped workers are pulled out alive from a tunnel nine days after floods hit Nepal. pic.twitter.com/XEpZrou5Hr
— Asif Khan (@_asif) September 4, 2026
At least 557 workers remain missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project along the Trishuli River, with about 115 believed to be trapped inside the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.
Officials present at the scene noted that rescuers believe additional survivors may still be alive inside the tunnel. Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina expressed continued hope for the operation, writing, “We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people.”
The country’s disaster management agency reports that at least 1,259 people have been killed in the floods, with more than 5,000 remaining missing. China reported that 21 people were killed and 541 were missing on the Tibet side of the border.
Across the region, about 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels.