Kathmandu, Sep 04 (V7N)- Two people have been rescued alive after spending nine days inside a tunnel at Nepal’s Trishuli-3A hydroelectric project, which was hit by flash floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The two were rescued on Friday (September 4), according to the BBC.
The first survivor was identified as Sanjaya Shah, a mechanical foreman with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Authorities said Shah is currently unable to speak because of his physical condition. He was later transported by helicopter to Battar, northwest of Kathmandu.
The second survivor, Kabir Maharajan, reportedly smiled and expressed gratitude after being rescued. He was taken directly to a hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife is also preparing to join him.
Senior NEA official Suresh Raut told the BBC that 39 workers are believed to remain inside the Trishuli-3A tunnel. It is not yet known how many of them may still be alive. Authorities have so far confirmed the rescue of two people.
More than 5,000 people remain missing following the devastating floods and landslides. Several hundred of those missing are believed to have been working in the extensive tunnel networks of various hydroelectric projects.
As part of the ongoing rescue effort, engineers are supplying air and oxygen to the tunnels.
Meanwhile, separate rescue operations are underway in around half a dozen hydroelectric project tunnels. Authorities fear that more than 150 people could still be trapped inside these tunnels.
END/SMA/AJ
