Nepal Army handout images show the rescue of two hydropower workers who survived for nine days inside a tunnel buried by mud and debris after devastating floods swept through the country’s Trishuli Valley.

The workers, identified as Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were found about 170 metres inside the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa district. Rescuers heard voices before reaching them and brought both men out alive on Friday. They were taken to hospital for treatment.

The rescue offers fresh hope for others still missing from hydropower sites. Hundreds of workers are believed to remain trapped in tunnels blocked by flood debris, while teams continue clearing entrances and searching underground.