Two Workers Rescued Alive from Tunnel in Nepal Nine Days After Flood

MANDI। Two workers have been safely rescued from the tunnel of the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project in Nepal nine days after the flood. The rescue team saved both on Friday morning, bringing new hope to the rescue operation.

After the flood, 42 employees and workers were trapped inside the tunnel. During the rescue operation, human voices were heard from inside the tunnel, after which the Nepal Army and Armed Police Force intensified the search operation. Army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the rescue of two workers.

They have been identified as Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan. The Nepal Army stated that during the morning search and rescue operation, voices of a person were heard from inside the tunnel.

So far, 1,282 people have died due to the floods in Nepal, while relief and rescue teams have safely evacuated 12,038 people. The administration and rescue teams are engaged in searching for missing persons as well as identifying bodies and delivering them to their families.

About 600 children are still missing in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. Approximately 280 children are reported missing in Rasuwa and between 300 to 350 in Nuwakot. Nearly 250 children are missing in Bidur Municipality alone in Nuwakot. The administration and schools are collecting data on children, but due to disrupted communication systems, it is difficult to determine the exact number.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said that Nepal has not demanded climate compensation from India, China, or the United States. He expressed gratitude for India’s immediate relief and rescue assistance.

American tech company Nvidia has provided $10 million in aid for relief and reconstruction after the Bhote Koshi flood. Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle thanked the company’s CEO Jensen Huang. According to Wagle, more than 10 billion Nepalese rupees have now been deposited in the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah may raise the issue of climate change and its impact on mountainous regions at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. He has expressed his desire to attend the General Assembly following the devastating floods in Rasuwa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun preparations for the New York visit.

India sent the first relief plane on August 26 after the floods. Subsequently, on August 27, 37.5 tons, on the third plane 10 tons, and on August 30, the fourth plane carried 11 tons of relief materials. The fourth consignment included search and rescue equipment and a forensic expert team for DNA analysis. On September 2, the fifth plane carried an 11-member rescue team, special equipment, and 5.5 tons of essential medicines.

Climate scientists, mountain experts, and glacier specialists are studying the causes of the Bhote Koshi disaster in Nepal. Experts are investigating the natural and climate-related reasons behind the sudden flood.

The Nepal government has implemented a centralized system for the distribution of relief materials and arranged for direct deposits into the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

This aid is part of India’s ongoing support for Nepal’s relief efforts following the Rasuwa flash flood

Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador

The Nepal Army and Armed Police Force intensified the operation and established contact with people inside the tunnel.

Ram Neupane