'I kept chanting Mahamantra': Nepal engineer rescued from tunnel recounts
What's the story
Two workers, including mechanical engineer Sanjay Sah, were rescued from a hydropower project tunnel in Nepal's Trishuli-3A on Friday, 10 days after devastating flash floods trapped several workers inside the tunnel. Over 1,250 people have died in the disaster and over 900 are feared trapped across 12 hydropower projects along the Trishuli River, according to Reuters.
Survival story
Sah was in charge of the control room
Sah said he was in charge of the control room when the floods struck.
Around 40-45 workers were present at the site at that time, and he directed people to safety but got trapped himself about 170 meters inside the tunnel.
"I was responsible for the control room, so the responsibility of saving everyone was also on me," Sah said.
Rescue efforts have increasingly focused on these tunnels, where authorities believe workers may have survived due to air pockets.
Mantra
3-4 people were near the place where he was stuck
Sanjay said only three-four individuals were around the location where he was stuck. However, he did not rule out the prospect of more workers being stuck at the powerhouse side of the tunnel.
"The tunnel is very long....Some people may be trapped inside because of the force of the water," he said.
Answering how he survived for over nine days without food or water, Sanjay said he kept chanting the "Hare Krishna Mahamantra,' which gave him the strength to survive.
Expert
'Layer upon layer of miracles'
Tunnel rescue expert Arnold Dix, who has been guiding the operation remotely from Sydney, called the rescue of the workers "extraordinary" and a first of its kind in the world.
"This is an enormous victory for the rescue team. Extraordinary that two people were brought out alive," Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, told NDTV.
"It's like layer upon layer of miracles" that they located two men, he said, considering the numerous hurdles they faced.
Hurdles
Team used engineering techniques, old topographic maps,
The team used engineering techniques, old topographic maps, satellite imagery, helicopter footage and anything else they could find on the surface of the mountain, such as power poles to locate the likely position of the entrance and started digging.
After finding it, they faced another challenge, locating the survivors inside a tunnel completely blocked by mud and rocks.
"We knew they would be up ahead, but we didn't know where...So you just have to start digging...And you listen," Dix said.
Team
Explosives used to clear debris
To clear the tunnel, rescuers had to use explosives, which is usually avoided due to safety concerns. However, with the Nepalese army's precision in managing explosions, they were able to proceed.
The team also discovered that the tunnel was still filled with water. To drain it out, they dug trenches from the tunnel to an outside river using excavators and pumping machines.
Rescue
Team called out 'don't worry'
Finally, a small passageway was dug through the debris at the top of the tunnel.
On Friday morning, rescuers heard what they thought were voices and called out to them. After receiving a faint response, they successfully pulled out survivors Sanjay and Kabir Maharjan.
Local reports said the team called out "don't worry, we're here to rescue you" and heard back a faint "okay."