2 trapped workers rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, officials say

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Rescuers in Nepal pulled two workers alive from a tunnel Friday during an ongoing operation at the Trishul 3A tunnel, officials said.

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane posted about the second rescue on his Facebook page shortly after army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the first trapped worker's rescue during the operation at the tunnel. Officials identified the two men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor.

The rescues come nine days after the Aug. 26 floods, likely caused by a glacier collapse , that devastated towns and valleys in Nepal.

Local television news channels showed images of the first rescued worker covered in mud and being carried from the site on a rescuer’s shoulder. Both men were under medical observation, the officials said.

At least 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project along the Trishuli River, with about 115 believed to be trapped in the main tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal. Officials present at the rescue site said rescuers believe some people may still be alive inside the tunnel.

At least 1,259 people were killed and more than 5,000 remain missing, according to the country’s disaster management agency. China, as of late Wednesday , said 21 people were killed and 541 were missing on the Tibet side of the border.

About 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to local authorities.