Two workers were pulled alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic flooding trapped them underground.
Nepal’s army says the two men, a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor, were rescued from the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant.
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Both were in stable condition after the rescue but were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.
Rescuers first heard voices from inside the tunnel Friday morning, confirming that people were still alive and helping crews locate the two men.
Rescuers say more voices can still be heard inside, though it’s unclear how many people remain trapped — or how many are still alive.
Hundreds remain missing
At the Trishuli plant alone, hundreds of workers remain missing, with more than 100 believed to be trapped in the main tunnel.
Across Nepal’s hydropower projects, about 900 workers are still unaccounted for, including hundreds believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Officials say the voices heard underground are giving rescuers hope that more workers can be brought out alive.
Nationwide, more than 1,200 people have been killed in the floods, with thousands still missing.
Across the border in Tibet, Chinese officials say 21 people were killed and more than 500 remain missing.
Catastrophic flooding
The disaster began Wednesday, Aug. 26, after, when a massive surge of water tore though communities along the Nepal-Tibet border. Scientists are investigating whether the collapse of a glacier helped trigger the flooding.
The floodwaters swept through the Himalayan river valleys where several hydropower projects are located, inundating facilities and trapping workers underground.
The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed some communities, with officials resorting to mass burials as bodies continue to be recovered from rivers.
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