Survivor's Tale: A Narrow Escape from Nepal's Flooded Hydropower Tunnel
By Editor • September 3, 2026 • 2 min read
In the aftermath of a catastrophic flood that swept through Nepal, Dhan Bahadur Tamang emerged as one of the fortunate few to escape a flooded tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 1 Hydropower Project. Last week’s disaster, which has claimed over 1,250 lives, left around 900 workers trapped in tunnels across six hydroelectric plants.
Tamang, a 32-year-old support worker, described the moment the disaster struck. A sudden change in air pressure and rising dust signaled an impending catastrophe. "Something was coming," he recalled, as a flood wave, having already devastated upstream settlements, barreled toward them with terrifying force.
As panic set in, Tamang found himself scrambling and climbing atop a tanker truck to escape the deluge. "I felt again and again that I was going to die," he reflected, as water surged into the tunnel. The chaos around him was palpable, with terrified workers running and shouting as the torrent engulfed their surroundings.
By Thursday, the toll had risen dramatically, with authorities reporting 1,259 confirmed deaths and 5,624 individuals still unaccounted for across Nepal and China, including many foreign nationals. On the Chinese side, 21 fatalities were reported in Tibet, with 541 missing.
Amidst the devastation, rescue efforts have intensified. Over 9,300 troops from the Nepalese army are engaged in search and rescue operations throughout the affected regions, focusing increasingly on the tunnels where many workers remain trapped.
After the floodwaters began to recede, Tamang and a handful of survivors attempted to return to the tunnel's entrance, only to be thwarted by debris. Their only choice was to venture deeper into the darkness, where they encountered the grim reality of their situation: bodies of colleagues who had not survived. "We were trying to get out and save our lives," he said, describing the harrowing sight of their fallen comrades.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of navigating through wreckage, Tamang and the remaining survivors saw a glimmer of light that led them to safety. He was greeted by villagers who provided dry clothing, but the rescue operations were hindered by fog that hampered helicopter flights.
Upon reuniting with his wife, Tamang was overwhelmed with emotion, but the trauma of his experiences lingers. "I will not work inside hydropower tunnels again," he vowed, haunted by nightmares of the disaster and the loss of friends.
Source: www.france24.com
