Trapped for nine days, two hydropower workers rescued alive in Nepal

Two hydropower workers have been rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal, nine days after a deadly flash flood swept through parts of the country, raising hopes that more people could still be trapped inside.

According to AFP, the two workers, identified as 30-year-old mechanical foreman Sanjay Shah and 45-year-old supervisor Kabir Maharjan, were pulled from the debris-filled tunnel on Thursday, Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung said.

Local television channels aired images and videos of the mud-covered workers being carried out on rescuers' shoulders. Rescuers described the discovery as a "miracle".

Both Shah and Maharjan reportedly suffered injuries to their arms and legs. They are believed to have survived by crawling through the tunnel after its entrance was buried by mud and debris.

"I am so happy, my heart is lighter," Amir Maharjan, the brother of rescued worker Kabir Maharjan, told AFP.

The Prime Minister's Office said Shah was in a stable condition and was airlifted to Battar, northwest of Kathmandu. Maharjan was taken to Chhauni Hospital, a military hospital in Kathmandu, where he was admitted to intensive care.

The two were among hundreds of hydropower workers reported missing after a massive wall of mud and debris swept through the region on August 26. The disaster followed a huge glacial and rock collapse on a mountain along the China-Nepal border and affected at least three districts.

Rescue teams continued searching the Trishuli 3A project after reports that voices could still be heard from inside the tunnel.

The tunnel leading to the project's underground powerhouse is more than four kilometres (2.5 miles) long, complicating efforts to reach those who may remain trapped inside.

The discovery of the two survivors has renewed hopes for rescuers and families waiting for news of missing workers, more than a week after the disaster.