Two men have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal nine days after a catastrophic flood struck the area, with rescuers reportedly sharing what they heard while searching underground.
Shocking videos circulated around the world last week after a massive rock and ice avalanche reportedly triggered a glacier collapse near the Nepal-China border.
On Wednesday, August 26, Nepal was hit by devastating flooding that caused widespread destruction. The reported death toll has already surpassed 1,000, while thousands of people are still missing.
At the time of writing, around 4,350 tourists remain unaccounted for, while Nepali authorities say they are prioritizing efforts to locate workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects.
In a major development, two men identified by the BBC as Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan were pulled alive from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project.
Both men reportedly suffered injuries to their hands and legs and were airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital.
The BBC also reported that rescuers discovered the body of a third person inside the tunnel after the two men were brought to safety. Sadly, the person was already dead.
Suresh Raut, a deputy manager at the Nepal Electricity Authority, said the body was badly swollen and could not be immediately identified.
“The body found inside the tunnel is swollen and could not be identified,” Raut said.
“It appears that the person died after being caught in floodwater while trying to flee from the tunnel.”
The Daily Mail reported that a Chinese rescue team entered roughly 300 meters into a tunnel in the Upper Trishuli-1 area. The team searched the site and recovered one body from the tunnel.
The Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project, located along Nepal’s Upper Trishuli River, was still under construction when the flooding occurred.
Meanwhile, Indian rescuers working at the Chilime Hydro tunnel encountered a blockage approximately 100 meters inside.
The rescue operation revealed that sections farther inside the tunnel had been buried under mud and soil. During the operation, two bodies were reportedly recovered.
Authorities are now facing the difficult task of identifying victims whose remains have deteriorated significantly. DNA samples are being collected from bodies that are in advanced stages of decomposition and can no longer be identified visually.
The rescue of Shah and Maharjan has offered a rare moment of hope amid an otherwise devastating disaster, as search teams continue working through dangerous and heavily damaged tunnels in an effort to find those still missing.