Voices heard after days underground: Hope mounts as rescuers reach trapped Nepal power plant workers

Rescuers operating inside the tunnels of a stricken Nepali hydropower plant have heard voices from within, local officials informed news outlet CNN. The discovery marks the first sign of life eight days after massive flash floods and landslides trapped hundreds of workers across several Himalayan energy facilities.

This breakthrough offers hope during a round-the-clock rescue effort carried out under treacherous conditions. Emergency crews at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant have been drilling into a tunnel to reach 42 unaccounted-for workers. Bipin Regmi, the police chief for Nuwakot district, said that "rescuers heard voices," and noted that a specialised medical team was dispatched to the scene. The tunnel leading to the underground powerhouse spans more than four kilometers (2.5 miles), where dozens were working when sudden floodwaters struck.

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The catastrophic flooding along Nepal's Trishuli River killed more than 1,200 people across the country. Thick, cement-like torrents submerged the river basin and surrounding infrastructure, leaving behind severe destruction. The trapped workforce includes foreign nationals from China, South Korea, and India, intensifying international concern as rescue operations stretched past a week.