Mechanical engineer Sanjay Sah has described his remarkable survival after spending nine days trapped inside a hydropower tunnel following devastating flash floods in Nepal.
Sanjay and another worker, Kabir Maharjan, were rescued from the Trishuli-3A hydropower project tunnel on the 10th day of rescue operations. Their survival has brought renewed hope to families of other workers still believed to be missing.
Sanjay was working in the control room when floodwater and debris entered the tunnel. As a senior official, he first tried to guide other workers towards safer areas but eventually became trapped about 170 metres inside.
Recalling the terrifying ordeal, Sanjay said he survived by holding on to hope and continuously chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. The two workers reportedly endured days inside the dark, blocked tunnel under extremely difficult conditions.
Dramatic visuals showed rescue personnel bringing the survivors out covered in mud and slush. Their miraculous rescue has become a symbol of hope amid the widespread devastation caused by the floods across Nepal’s hydropower regions.