Two Rescued From Nepal Tunnels as Hundreds Remain Trapped After Glacial Flood

A week after catastrophic floods devastated the Nepal-Tibet border, rescuers pull survivors from hydropower tunnels as death toll climbs past 1,300.

By Duabbly Staff

Nine days after a catastrophic wall of water tore through a remote Himalayan valley, rescue teams in Nepal are racing against time to reach scores of workers believed to be trapped in underground tunnels. The operation intensified this week when two men were successfully extracted from one of seven hydropower facilities where more than 150 people are feared to be stranded, offering rescuers renewed hope after days of grim discoveries.

The disaster struck without warning on August 26 when what scientists believe was a glacier collapse unleashed a massive surge of water, mud, and rock down the mountainside. The deluge, which may have been influenced by climate change, obliterated entire villages and communities across the border region. The confirmed death toll has reached 1,311 across Nepal and Tibet, with another 5,330 people still unaccounted for. Among the missing are hundreds of foreign nationals representing at least 34 countries, many of them workers at hydroelectric facilities throughout the region.

The breakthrough came early Friday morning when rescue crews working at the Trishuli 3A hydropower station heard what they believed were human voices echoing from deep within the tunnel system. After calling out encouragement to any survivors, rescuers heard a faint response. Within hours, Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan had been brought to the surface. Both men bore injuries to their hands and legs, apparently sustained while crawling through the flooded passages in darkness. Shah underwent medical evaluation at the Army Hospital in Kathmandu, while Maharjan arrived in critical condition, according to the prime minister's office.

The rescue operation has proven extraordinarily challenging due to the physical obstacles left by the deluge. Enormous quantities of mud and rock now block tunnel entrances, forcing rescue teams to excavate access points by hand. Heavy machinery that might normally assist in such operations was itself swept away by the floodwaters, leaving workers dependent on manual labor and improvisation. Engineers have been continuously pumping air into the tunnels to ensure breathable conditions for anyone still underground.

At the Trishuli 3A site alone, officials believe approximately 39 additional people may remain in the tunnels, though uncertainty surrounds whether all are still alive. A third body was discovered in the same tunnel system later Friday, though the extent of decomposition made immediate identification impossible. The grim finding underscored the race against time that rescue teams now face.

According to Col Jhabindra Reshmi, military rescue teams have successfully extracted more than 400 Nepali nationals and 270 foreign citizens in the nine days since the flooding began. The operations span not only the seven hydropower tunnels but also 19 other sites across the affected region where people remain trapped or missing. Despite these successes, the sheer scale of the disaster means rescue efforts remain stretched across an enormous area with limited resources.

Uttam Bhlon Lama, vice president at Independent Power Producers of Nepal, expressed cautious optimism following Friday's rescues. He indicated that successfully bringing Shah and Maharjan to safety would energize rescue teams working in extraordinarily difficult conditions. However, Lama also noted that water levels remain dangerously high, creating additional hazards for anyone attempting to move through the tunnels. Nepalese authorities have warned that additional rainfall could trigger secondary flooding in the region, potentially complicating rescue efforts further.

The casualty figures differ markedly between the two nations. In Nepal, 1,287 deaths have been confirmed with 5,083 people missing. Chinese state media reported 31 deaths on the Tibetan side with 531 people unaccounted for, though the full scope of the disaster in Tibet remains unclear. China has released state media footage documenting devastation in border areas but has disclosed limited information about victim counts or impacts on Tibetan communities. Emergency response teams in Tibet appear to be shifting focus toward assisting survivors rather than conducting extensive search and rescue operations.

Scientific investigation into the disaster's origins is ongoing, though preliminary findings point to a glacial collapse as the trigger. Researchers from the Asian Mountain Academic Alliance, the Stimson Centre, and China's Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment have identified evidence suggesting the glacier experienced growing instability in the days before it gave way. The experts emphasized that improved early-warning systems monitoring glacial conditions could have provided crucial time for evacuation before the catastrophe struck.

The initial event itself was initially mistaken for seismic activity. What residents experienced was not an earthquake but rather the sudden release of an enormous mass of ice, water, and rock that accelerated downslope with devastating force. The torrent swept away buildings, roads, vehicles, and everything else in its path, leaving a trail of destruction across the valley and into neighboring communities.

For rescue workers laboring in the tunnels, the conditions remain nightmarish. One survivor recounted to the BBC how floodwater chased him through a tunnel for twenty minutes, illustrating the violence and speed of the surge that trapped so many. Workers who were underground when the waters arrived faced near-total darkness, disorientation, and the constant threat of drowning or being crushed by debris.

The successful extraction of Shah and Maharjan demonstrates that survival is possible even after prolonged entrapment, though both men required immediate medical attention. Their rescue has provided momentum to search teams who have endured days of finding only bodies or empty tunnels. With at least 39 people possibly alive at Trishuli 3A and dozens more potentially trapped in other locations, rescue operations will continue with renewed urgency. As weather conditions remain unstable and water levels high, the window for finding additional survivors narrows with each passing day.