Rescuers in Nepal have pulled multiple workers out of a tunnel at a hydropower plant where they had been trapped for nine days following a landslide, according to BBC reports. The workers were freed from the site on Friday, September 4, 2026, after being stuck since the debris flow struck.
The rescue operation concluded after days of effort, with workers emerging from the tunnel alive. Reports from Japanese outlet Nippon Television (via Yahoo! News) indicate that two of the rescued workers said they had filtered water from inside the tunnel through their clothing to drink while awaiting help.
The landslide struck the hydropower facility in Nepal, triggering a massive debris flow that sealed off the tunnel entrance. Local researchers cited by TV Asahi News said that roughly 80 percent of the material that fell was bedrock, and they noted that the event was impossible to predict or anticipate given the available data.
The workers' survival over the nine-day period may have been aided by their bodies adapting to low oxygen levels, which also helped them avoid panic, according to coverage from oita-press.co.jp. The extended entrapment in a confined space would normally pose severe risks, but the workers reportedly remained calm and conserved energy.
Meanwhile, Yomiuri Shimbun reports growing frustration in Nepal over a lack of information from the Chinese side regarding the landslide. Under China's information controls, state media has focused on showcasing advanced technology rather than sharing data that could help with disaster response.
The successful rescue brings closure to a tense nine-day wait, but questions remain about what caused the massive bedrock landslide and whether better cross-border data sharing could have helped responders prepare.
