‘He Was Given A Second Life’: Wife Recounts 9 Days Of Agony Before Husband’s Rescue From Nepal Tunnel

After nine agonising days of waiting, hope finally turned into relief for a family in Nepal on Friday when a man trapped inside a hydropower tunnel was rescued alive following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood.

The survivor was identified as Kabir Maharjan of Kathmandu, who was pulled out from the tunnel of the Trishuli 3A hydropower project on the 10th day since he was trapped underground. His wife, Hira Shobha, said the rescue felt like her husband had been given a new chance at life.

“He has returned with a second life. We are extremely happy,” his wife, Hira Shobha, told Kantipur. “We had been waiting. I am now going to the hospital to see my husband.”

The wait had been an extremely painful period for the family, with uncertainty stretching

over several days as they held on to the belief that Maharjan was still alive.

“It was so difficult to get through those days. It wasn’t one day or two days. We could neither eat nor sleep,” she said. “We believed he was still in there. We believed he would come back. We suffered because it took a little longer.”

With the rescue operation finally bringing Maharjan out alive, his wife thanked those who took part in the mission and risked their own lives to save him.

“It seems it takes a long time to carry out a rescue like this. They risked their own lives to save him,” she said. “My heartfelt thanks to the entire rescue team.”

According to Hira Shobha, Maharjan had been working at the Trishuli 3A project for seven years. She last spoke to him at around 7:30 am on Wednesday, shortly before the devastating flood struck the Bhotekoshi River.

Maharjan and Sanjay Sah, who was also trapped inside the tunnel, were rescued on Friday morning by the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force with assistance from foreign rescue teams.

Two People Rescued Alive

Sanjay Shah from Saptari and Kabir Maharjan of Kathmandu were rescued alive after spending 10 days trapped inside the tunnel of the Trishuli 3 ‘A’ hydropower project following the Bhotekoshi flood. The rescue operation was carried out by the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and a foreign rescue team.

Shah, who works as a Mechanical Foreman, said he remained trapped inside the tunnel while others were being evacuated and spent the time chanting mantras. Maharjan, a Mechanical Supervisor, had reached the project as part of routine maintenance work.

Nepal Floods

The catastrophic floods in Nepal were reportedly triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, which led to the formation of lakes before floodwaters swept down the valley, devastating several villages along the Nepal-Tibet border.

According to official data, the death toll in Nepal rose to 1,259, while 5,083 people remained missing. As rescue operations entered their ninth day on Thursday, September 3, families in flood-hit areas held symbolic funerals for their loved ones.