Rescue Operation in Nepal’s Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project

Soldiers from the Nepal Army successfully rescued a worker from a tunnel during ongoing operations at the Trishuli-3A hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Friday, September 4, 2026. Rescuers pulled two workers alive from the tunnel as emergency teams continued their efforts to reach others believed to be trapped inside.

The rescue operation follows devastating floods, likely caused by a glacier collapse, that hit the region on August 26. A Nepalese lawmaker, Shri Ram Neupane, shared the news of the second rescue on Facebook. Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the first worker’s rescue.

The two individuals rescued were identified as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor. Media coverage revealed images of the first rescued worker covered in mud, carried from the site on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both men were reported as being in stable condition. They were later flown to a hospital in Kathmandu.

At present, around 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project along the Trishuli River. About 115 of them are believed to be trapped within the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

Officials at the rescue site remain optimistic about the survival of others inside the tunnel. Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina expressed hope for the continued rescue of more workers, reiterating the government’s commitment on Facebook.

The floods have resulted in severe human loss, with at least 1,259 fatalities and over 5,000 people remaining missing as reported by Nepal’s disaster management agency. China reported that 21 people were killed and 541 went missing on the Tibet side of the border as of late Wednesday.

Local authorities noted that approximately 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, with about 500 believed trapped in tunnels.