Two Workers Rescued Alive from Nepal Hydropower Tunnel Collapse

Rescue teams in central Nepal managed to pull two construction workers to safety after a section of a hydropower tunnel caved in, Al Jazeera reported. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when a sudden rockfall blocked the tunnel shaft, trapping the men inside a confined space. Emergency responders from the district disaster management office arrived within minutes, employing rope systems and portable breathing apparatus to reach the victims.

According to Al Jazeera, the workers were found alive but disoriented after several hours of entrapment. After careful extraction, both men were handed over to medical personnel at a nearby field clinic, where they received treatment for minor injuries and shock. Local authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the collapse and are reviewing safety protocols at the construction site.

The tunnel is part of a larger hydro‑electric project aimed at boosting Nepal’s renewable energy capacity. The country has been rapidly expanding its hydropower infrastructure to meet growing electricity demand and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. However, the rugged terrain and frequent seismic activity pose significant engineering challenges, and accidents at such sites are not uncommon.

Historically, Nepal’s push for hydropower has been accompanied by safety concerns. In 2022, a similar incident at a different tunnel resulted in several fatalities, prompting calls for stricter oversight and improved worker training. International experts note that while hydropower offers a clean energy solution, the sector must balance rapid development with rigorous occupational safety standards to protect the labor force that builds these projects.

The successful rescue underscores the effectiveness of Nepal’s emergency response mechanisms, which have been strengthened in recent years through cooperation with neighboring India and international NGOs. As the investigation proceeds, officials say they will assess whether additional safety equipment, such as real‑time monitoring sensors, should become mandatory on future tunneling operations.

The two rescued workers are expected to make a full recovery, and their families have expressed gratitude to the rescuers. The incident serves as a reminder of the hazards inherent in large‑scale infrastructure work, especially in geologically unstable regions.