Man Survives Nine Days Trapped in a Dark Tunnel After Devastating Nepal Floods

A Nepali construction worker has described how he survived nine days trapped inside a dark tunnel after devastating floods and landslides struck Nepal earlier this month.

Sanjay Sah, a foreman at the Upper Trishuli-3A hydropower project, was rescued alive along with another worker after becoming trapped inside the tunnel following severe flooding in the Bhotekoshi River area.

Sah later told reporters that he initially feared he would injure his eyes on debris inside the tunnel, so he kept them closed for days. With no normal supply of drinking water, he survived by drinking water that seeped through the tunnel and was mixed with mud.

The worker said he had urged people around him to evacuate when he learned that floodwaters were approaching. He ultimately remained behind at the hydropower site, where the sudden disaster trapped workers inside the facility.

After the floods, rescuers searched damaged tunnels and infrastructure for survivors. Sah and fellow worker Kabir Maharjan were eventually brought out alive and taken for medical treatment. Sah was later released from hospital.

The disaster caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal, with thousands of people reported dead or missing in the wider Himalayan disaster zone. The scale of the flooding and landslides also left rescue teams facing difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure.

For Sah, however, the immediate priority after emerging from the tunnel was simply survival.

His account has become one of the more remarkable personal stories to emerge from the disaster — a story of a worker who spent more than a week underground before rescuers finally reached him.

Sources:
Reuters report via The Business Standard
Reuters report via The Business Standard – Nepali foreman rescued from tunnel