Two hydropower plant workers survived trapped for nine days inside a tunnel following a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal, according to rescue officials and news reports. Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor working at the Upper Trishuli 34 hydropower station, were successfully extracted on Friday, September 4, 2026, according to the office of Nepal Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and Reuters.
The Rescue Operation at Upper Trishuli
Rescue teams utilized an unconventional coordination method, managing the complex extraction through a WhatsApp group that guided personnel on the ground alongside helicopters and heavy machinery, according to official reports. Arnold Dix, a tunneling expert and chair of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association who advised Nepali authorities, described the operation as “layers upon layers of miracles” due to the immense landscape changes. The flash flood had buried the hillside entrance of the tunnel deep underground, forcing Dix’s team to rely on old topographic maps, satellite imagery, helicopter footage, and power poles to locate the entrance.
Once the entrance was found, rescuers had to break through heavy debris including mud and boulders larger than cars. According to Dix, the team had to use explosives to clear the path despite the severe risk to both the rescuers and the trapped survivors. Footage released by the Nepal Army showed Maharjan being pulled from a ground opening and placed on a stretcher, while Sah was carried out covered in mud and given an oxygen mask by military medical staff. A local military official stated that Sah’s vital parameters appeared normal and his injuries were non-critical, whereas a staff member for the Energy Minister reported that Maharjan could not move his hands and legs. Both survivors were subsequently airlifted to a Kathmandu hospital.
Scale of the Disaster Along the Trishuli River
The flash flood struck on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after a glacier collapse in the upper reaches of the Trishuli River near the Tibet Autonomous Region of China sent an avalanche of ice, rock, and mud sweeping through the valley. Officials and rescue workers estimate that roughly 900 people were trapped inside tunnels connected to six hydropower projects along the river. Across Nepal, the disaster killed at least 1,252 people and left more than 4,200 others missing as homes, roads, and schools were destroyed. Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities reported at least 21 deaths and 541 missing persons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long were the workers trapped inside the Nepal tunnel?
Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan were trapped inside the hydropower plant tunnel for nine days following the August 26 disaster before being rescued on September 4.
Who led the technical advisory for the tunnel rescue?
Arnold Dix, chair of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, advised Nepali authorities on engineering techniques to penetrate the blocked tunnel.
What caused the flash flood in Nepal and Tibet?
Officials determined that the disaster was triggered by a glacier collapse in the upper reaches of the Trishuli River, which sent ice, rock, and mud crashing through the valley.
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