Nepal Tunnel Worker Sanjay Sah Rescued After 9 Days From Trishuli Hydropower Tunnel

A 30-year-old hydropower worker was rescued alive from a debris-filled tunnel in Nepal on Friday after spending nine days trapped underground following catastrophic flooding and a massive glacial and rock collapse near the China-Nepal border. Sanjay Shah, a mechanical foreman at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower project, was pulled out from about 170 metres inside the tunnel as rescuers continued a difficult operation to locate missing workers.

Shah was among two Nepali workers rescued from the tunnel, marking the first confirmed rescue of hydropower workers believed to have been trapped since the disaster on August 26. Images and footage released by Nepal's energy ministry showed rescuers cheering as Shah emerged through a muddy opening. He was helped to his feet before being carried towards a helicopter, while the second rescued worker was taken out on a stretcher with his hands folded in prayer.

Recounting his ordeal, Shah explained that he had remained inside with other workers after a warning was issued and chose to help evacuate his colleagues rather than leave alone. He described how water suddenly rushed into the tunnel, blocking the exits and trapping the workers underground. Shah remained in communication with six others and continued hoping for rescue despite the deteriorating conditions.

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Shah revealed that the workers spent nine days without food or water and relied on prayer to maintain hope. “We kept chanting the mahamantra and praying to God to save our lives,” he recalled. He described his emergence from the tunnel after nine days as an overwhelming moment that felt like being given a new lease on life. He was reported to be in stable condition following the rescue.

Experts monitoring the operation indicated that sections deep inside the 4.5-kilometre tunnel may have contained a stable air pocket with breathable oxygen, along with trapped water, helping the workers survive underground. Nepali rescuers, supported by specialists from India, China and South Korea, have been searching the affected hydropower facilities for other survivors, although rescue teams have repeatedly encountered hard-packed debris blocking access.

The disaster has severely damaged Nepal's hydropower infrastructure, with at least 12 projects affected by the floods. The August 26 glacial and mountain collapse has also caused widespread devastation, with at least 1,280 people reported dead and more than 5,500 missing. Nepal Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha maintained that rescue operations were continuing at all affected tunnels, urging rescuers and the public to retain hope as searches for missing workers continued.

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