Two Rescued From Nepal Hydropower Tunnel Nine Days After Devastating Flash Flood

Two men were pulled alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal on Friday, nine days after a catastrophic flash flood tore through the Nepal-China border region, according to rescuers on the scene.

The survivors, identified as Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan, emerged to cheers from rescue crews who had been working around the clock since the disaster struck. Footage captured the dramatic moment the two were lifted to safety, their faces weathered but visibly relieved.

Authorities told BBC Nepali that voices were heard early Friday, raising hopes that more people may still be alive inside the vast tunnel network. At least 42 people are now expected to be rescued from the same tunnel, officials said.

Engineers have been pumping air into the underground passages as part of a massive operation to reach dozens of workers feared trapped in hydropower sites along the river. The tunnels, part of several ongoing infrastructure projects in the mountainous region, became death traps when floodwaters surged through without warning.

More than 150 people are still feared trapped in the network, officials said. The confirmed death toll has climbed above 1,200, with more than 5,000 others reported missing across the affected areas near the Nepal-Tibet frontier.

The disaster has raised fresh questions about the safety of hydropower development in Nepal's fragile Himalayan valleys, where seasonal monsoon rains and glacial melt can trigger sudden and devastating flash floods.