Nepal Flood Survivors Recount Ordeal in Collapsed Tunnels
Rescue efforts continue in Nepal two weeks after a devastating flood near the Tibetan border, with hopes of finding more survivors trapped in hydroelectric power station tunnels. The operation has been buoyed by the rescue of four individuals, three of whom were found in these tunnels. These survivors have begun sharing their harrowing experiences of being trapped in air pockets, surviving on muddy water, and clinging to hope until rescuers reached them.
The disaster, which occurred on August 26 when a glacial lake outburst flood surged down mountainsides, has officially claimed over 1,400 lives, with more than 5,000 still missing, including two Israeli citizens. Rescue teams are now focusing on tunnels at the Chilime, Trishuli A3, and B3 power stations, where an estimated 120 people may still be alive. Oxygen is being pumped into the tunnels to aid potential survivors.
Survivors like Kabir Maharjan described being trapped for nine days in complete darkness, in and out of consciousness in muddy water, before being miraculously rescued. Another survivor, Sanjay Saha, recounted being alerted by a supervisor to evacuate before the flood hit. The rescue operation faced immense challenges, including tunnels filled with water and debris, requiring slow, painstaking progress through drilling and controlled explosions.
One of the rescued, a 64-year-old woman named Chandika Kumari Shrestha, was found alive in the ruins of her home after her family had already begun funeral rites. She had survived in a small air pocket amidst the mud and water. The scale of the destruction is immense, with entire villages buried and thousands of homes destroyed, forcing difficult decisions about where to focus rescue efforts.
Rescuers were eventually able to locate survivors by drilling and listening for sounds, eventually seeing a hand emerge from the debris. The survivors, weak and unable to stand, were brought out and received medical attention. Maharjan, suffering from a severe leg wound, did not initially recognize his wife upon waking in the hospital, but his family rejoices in his new lease on life.
