Rescuers in Nepal Search Trapped Workers as Flood Toll Rises

Sat Sep 05 2026 23:54:15 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Nine days after a glacial collapse triggers flood, Nepali rescuers push deeper into hydropower tunnels, staging an urgent search for dozens of trapped workers.

A devastating flash flood triggered by a glacial collapse on August 26 swept through a Himalayan valley, leaving villages obliterated and workers stranded in hydropower tunnels. Two men were recently rescued alive, while the body of a third remains in a tunnel, raising hope for others still inside. The rescue teams face massive mud and rock blockages, pumping air into the tunnels to keep survivors alive. With 1,311 deaths recorded and 5,330 missing across Nepal and Tibet, international aid groups and engineers intensify efforts to unearth the trapped workers.

Rescue teams in Nepal are deepening their search for workers believed trapped in hydropower tunnels, following a catastrophic flash flood that struck the Himalayan valley on August 26.

Two men, Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan, were pulled out alive from the Trishuli 3A tunnel after rescuers heard faint calls of “okay,” leading to a surge of hope.

The body of a third worker was discovered shortly after, while engineers are pumping air into the tunnels and clearing mud-filled passages to reach the remaining 39 suspected trapped workers.

The flood, thought to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, has left 1,311 confirmed dead and 5,330 missing across Nepal and Tibet, with hundreds of foreign nationals believed among the missing.

International aid groups and Nepali power company engineers have been working tirelessly under harsh conditions, pushing deeper into the tunnels despite heavy mud and rock blockages that hamper rescue operations.

While authorities in Nepal continue the search, oversight suggests that the emergency in Tibet is focused more on helping the living rather than holding out hope for further survivors.