Authorities believe at least 42 people could be rescued from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Plant in Nepal after two people were found alive in a tunnel and voices were heard following the floods05:32, 04 Sep 2026Updated 12:49, 04 Sep 2026Two people have been rescued from tunnel in Nepal, bringing hope that 'others will also be rescued alive'.‌Rescuers in Nepal have been combing through dark, debris-filled tunnels at hydropower plants, looking for hundreds of missing workers feared trapped in the floods. At least 900 workers are missing from a dozen hydropower projects, with about 500 believed to be inside tunnels, according to officials and industry representatives. But access to the tunnels has been hampered by thick mud, debris and damaged infrastructure, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach workers.‌Two workers have been pulled from a hydropower tunnel after rescue teams heard voices, nine days after the disaster that has killed more than 1,200 people across Nepal and China.‌Images showed a rescuer carrying one of the workers, covered in mud, on his back, while soldiers on either side helped. One of those rescued said more people are alive inside the tunnel, according to army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, and the search is ongoing.The ministry of energy told BBC it expects at least 42 people to be rescued as part of the operation.More than 5,000 people remain missing after the floods, and hundreds are believed to be labourers working in a vast network of tunnels at hydropower sites along the river. The death toll currently stands at 1,301.‌Authorities named Sanjay Shah as the first person to be rescued from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project.His colleague Suresh Chaudhari said: "I am so, so happy, I have been waiting for the news. This has given hope that others will also be rescued alive."‌The second person rescued from the project has been named as Kabir Maharajan. Both are being airlifted to army hospitals for treatment.Both men were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu. One of the survivors was 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.Suresh Raut, a senior official of the Nepal Electricity Authority, told the BBC they believe there are at least 39 workers in the tunnel. They cannot confirm how many are alive.‌As part of the operation the crew had previously blasted a hole in the crown of the tunnel, and had descended on ropes.Rescue teams with search dogs are combing through mud, rocks and debris. The floods swept mud, huge rocks and debris into underground passages, collapsing sections and trapping workers. Even where tunnel entrances are accessible, crews must clear large amounts of debris before reaching deeper sections.‌Filmmaker and drone pilot Manish Maharjan, who has been volunteering with the Nepalese army, said some tunnels were "filled with mud like toothpaste in a tube."At one hydropower project, he used a drone to search to the end of a tunnel but found no sign of life.Article continues belowAnil Pokhrel, a disaster risk reduction expert and former head of Nepal's disaster authority, said the flooding exposed weaknesses in Nepal's rescue capacity. He said rescuers lost valuable time locating the tunnel's exact entry point and coordinates and lacked heavy equipment and adequately trained personnel.He said: "Harsh and remote locations with inclement weather worsened the situation. Also, we didn't have adequately trained human resources to undertake such operations."