“Everybody’s sense of hope was waning,” said one survivor’s relative. Rescuers were searching for dozens of others inside the tunnel at a hydropower project damaged by last week’s deadly floods.
Rescuers on Friday pulled two survivors from a tunnel at a hydropower project in Nepal, more than a week after a deadly flood ravaged the Himalayan nation.
Cheers erupted as Nepali Army personnel in hard hats lifted one of the men to the surface, an unlikely rescue that prompted hope that others could be saved from the damaged Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower project. More than 40 other workers were thought to be inside the tunnel, according to two people briefed on the rescue operations, including a senior Army officer, though it was not clear how many were still alive.
The survivors were said to be in stable condition at an Army hospital in Kathmandu, the capital.
“It had been nine days and everybody’s sense of hope was waning,” said Dev Sah, the brother-in-law of Sanjay Sah, one of the two rescued workers. “He has received a new life today.”
The body of a third man, a mechanical engineer, was also recovered on Friday, according to Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, the head of the Nepal Electricity Authority. His agency owns the plant being developed along the Trishuli River, one of two valleys where torrents of water mixed with rock and debris surged through last week after a glacial collapse.
The disaster killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet and left thousands of others missing. The raging floodwaters washed away roads, bridges and in some cases entire villages. More than 4,000 people are missing in Nepal and neighboring Tibet, including hundreds who worked on hydropower construction sites in Nepal, according to the country’s government.
The flood left behind a dense mixture of sludge and mud that Nepal Army officers, aided by technical teams from India, China and other countries, have been working through in a desperate search for survivors.
Here’s what else we’re covering:
-
Survivors: The other worker rescued on Friday was identified as Kabir Maharjan. His wife, Hirashova Maharjan, said in an interview at the Army hospital: “We’re so happy. We are crying with happiness.”
-
Hydropower: Nepal’s robust hydroelectric industry harnesses the fast-flowing waters in the Himalayas. Many of the country’s hydropower projects were built along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, which bore the brunt of the flooding. Read more ›
-
Last Rites: Some families of the missing, accepting that they may never receive the remains of their loved ones, have begun to perform symbolic Hindu cremations. Read more ›
-
Flood Causes: Glacier meltwater and a thawing permafrost could have contributed to destabilizing the rock and ice, visual analysis shows. Read more ›
-
Path of Destruction: Maps and images show how the giant torrent of mud, water, rocks and ice swept through the Himalayan valleys, destroying roads, snapping bridges and toppling buildings. Read more ›
