Rescue of Nepal hydropower workers ‘triumph for humans and humanity’, tunnelling expert says
Guardian AU
•Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:22 GMT
📰 What Happened
Two workers, Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharajan, were pulled out alive from a flooded tunnel at Nepal's Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday, nine days after deadly flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border. Australian engineer and geologist Arnold Dix, who was invited by Nepali authorities to advise on the operation, called it 'one of the great rescues of the 21st century' and a 'triumph for humans and humanity'. The workers survived after a glacial collapse created a torrent of mud, water and debris that swept through the region.
🔍 The Backstory
The floods began with a glacial collapse that swept away buildings, roads and bridges along the border between Nepal and China, trapping workers at hydropower projects on the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, where hundreds of employees remain missing. Dix, who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11, said finding two people alive after more than a week 'gives us hope' as the search continues. The successful rescue came after more than a week of round-the-clock efforts by Nepali authorities and international advisers.
🎯 Why It Matters
Survivors found alive more than a week after a disaster of this scale are extremely rare, making the rescue a huge morale boost for families and rescue teams, and a rare piece of good news amid a disaster with a death toll nearing 1300. It also highlights the risks posed to Himalayan hydropower projects by glacier collapses. The international response, including Australian teams, continues as hundreds remain missing.
Two workers, Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharajan, were pulled out alive from a flooded tunnel at Nepal's Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday, nine days after deadly flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border. Australian engineer and geologist Arnold Dix, who was invited by Nepali authorities to advise on the operation, called it 'one of the great rescues of the 21st century' and a 'triumph for humans and humanity'. The workers survived after a glacial collapse created a torrent of mud, water and debris that swept through the region.
The floods began with a glacial collapse that swept away buildings, roads and bridges along the border between Nepal and China, trapping workers at hydropower projects on the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, where hundreds of employees remain missing. Dix, who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11, said finding two people alive after more than a week 'gives us hope' as the search continues. The successful rescue came after more than a week of round-the-clock efforts by Nepali authorities and international advisers.
Survivors found alive more than a week after a disaster of this scale are extremely rare, making the rescue a huge morale boost for families and rescue teams, and a rare piece of good news amid a disaster with a death toll nearing 1300. It also highlights the risks posed to Himalayan hydropower projects by glacier collapses. The international response, including Australian teams, continues as hundreds remain missing.