Story perspectives

Nepal Rescues Chinese Worker From 225-Meter Tunnel

9/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Nepal army and South Korea experts rescued a Chinese worker from the 225-metre Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel.
The army also saved foreman Sanjay Sah and supervisor Kabir Maharjan from the Trishuli 3A tunnel.
Floods on Aug 26 killed at least 1,300 people and left over 5,000 missing.
About 900 hydropower workers are missing, with roughly 500 believed trapped in tunnels.
India, China, South Korea, U.S., and an Australian drone team are aiding rescues.

History

Historical Context

In 2010, Chile’s San José mine collapse in the Andes trapped 33 miners 2.4 km underground for 69 days, culminating in a globally televised rescue. President Sebastián Piñera, state-run Codelco, NASA engineers, and a multinational drilling team lowered a capsule that lifted all workers safely, watched by over 2 million viewers worldwide. The 2010 operation mirrors today’s Upper Trishuli-1 and Trishuli 3A tunnel rescues, where Nepal’s army, South Korean experts, and U.S. drones coordinate multinational aid. That precedent underscores how coordinated international expertise can expedite worker recovery, prompting governments to formalize joint disaster-response protocols for future incidents.

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Story summary

Nepal army and South Korea experts rescued a Chinese worker from the 225-metre Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel.
The army also saved foreman Sanjay Sah and supervisor Kabir Maharjan from the Trishuli 3A tunnel.
Floods on Aug 26 killed at least 1,300 people and left over 5,000 missing.
About 900 hydropower workers are missing, with roughly 500 believed trapped in tunnels.
India, China, South Korea, U.S., and an Australian drone team are aiding rescues.

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