Rescuers recover two workers from hydropower tunnel in Nepal after floods

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Rescuers in Nepal pulled two workers alive from an underground tunnel at a hydropower plant on Friday, raising hopes of reaching dozens of others believed to be trapped nine days after floods swept away villages and submerged the Himalayan region in mud and debris. Search teams first heard voices from inside the tunnel in the morning, allowing them to locate the two men, according to Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane. Images showed a rescuer carrying one of the workers, covered in mud, on his back, while soldiers on either side assisted. One of those rescued indicated that more people are alive inside the tunnel, according to army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, and the search is ongoing. "I can't explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to God," Amir Maharjan, the brother of one of those rescued, told The Associated Press. Basnet confirmed the rescue of the first trapped worker, and Neupane posted about the second on his Facebook page shortly after. Both men were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu, and Maharjan stated that his family was on its way there. One of the survivors was reported to be in critical condition, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Officials identified the men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. They were rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A plant. Approximately 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in various tunnels, according to authorities. About 115 are believed trapped in the tunnel at Trishuli 3A alone, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal. Nepal's Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina stated on his Facebook page that officials "are waiting for the rescue of more and more people." At least 1,287 people were killed in the floods on August 26, likely caused by a glacier collapse, and more than 5,000 remain missing, according to Nepal's disaster management agency. China reported that 31 people were killed and 531 were missing on the Tibet side of the border, according to the Chinese official news agency Xinhua. Nepal's disaster agency estimated that flooding caused at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees ($2.5 billion) in damage to infrastructure and property.