2 trapped workers rescued from a hydropower tunnel 9 days after Nepal floods

In this photo provided by the Nepal Army, soldiers rescue a worker alive from a tunnel during an ongoing operation at the Trishuli-3A hydropower project in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Nepal Army/via AP hide caption

Rescuers in Nepal pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel Friday as emergency teams continued an operation to reach others believed to be trapped inside, officials said.

The two men were rescued from the Trishuli 3A tunnel nine days after floods, likely caused by a glacier collapse, devastated towns and swept away villages in Nepal on Aug. 26.

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane posted about the second rescue on his Facebook page shortly after army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the first trapped worker's rescue. Officials identified the two men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.

Local television news channels showed images of the first rescued worker covered in mud and being carried from the site on a rescuer's shoulder. Officials said both men were in stable condition and were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu.

At least 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project along the Trishuli River, with about 115 believed to be trapped in the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

Officials present at the rescue site said rescuers believe some people may still be alive inside the tunnel.

Nepal's Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said officials remain hopeful that more workers will be rescued.