World · Singapore Bureau
Nepali man survives nine days trapped in dark hydropower tunnel
A Nepali man has recounted his harrowing ordeal after spending over a week trapped in a pitch-black tunnel following a devastating flood at a hydropower station. Sanjay Sah kept his eyes shut throughout most of his ordeal to protect them from debris, leaving him barely able to see after his dramatic rescue.
LSN Singapore ·
Sanjay Sah was inside a tunnel connected to a hydropower facility in Nepal when a catastrophic flood tore through the structure, trapping him in complete darkness. Faced with an uncertain fate and surrounded by debris, the man made the difficult decision to keep his eyes closed for extended periods, fearing the risk of serious injury from sharp objects in his confined surroundings.
For nine days, Sah remained isolated in the tunnel with minimal visibility and limited supplies. The extended closure of his eyes during captivity meant his vision had become severely compromised by the time rescuers finally located him.
When rescue teams successfully extracted Sah from the tunnel, he was in a weakened state and struggled to open his eyes after days of keeping them shut. The dramatic rescue operation concluded an ordeal that tested the man's physical and mental resilience as he fought for survival in one of Nepal's most challenging natural disasters.
The incident highlighted the dangers faced by workers at hydropower facilities in the region, which remain vulnerable to sudden flooding during monsoon seasons. Authorities have since reviewed safety protocols at similar installations across Nepal to prevent future incidents.