Skip to content Hope seemed almost gone. Then rescuers heard signs of life beneath the mud. For nine terrifying days, the outside world could only wonder whether two hydropower workers trapped deep inside a tunnel in Nepal were still alive. Devastating floods had sent mud, debris and water into the underground passage, leaving the workers trapped beneath the earth and cutting off their path to safety. As the days passed, the rescue effort became a race against time—and hope began to fade. Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. They were alive. After days of relentless rescue work, rescuers finally reached the trapped workers and managed to bring them out of the tunnel. One of the men emerged covered in mud, but still conscious. As rescuers carried him toward safety, he raised a hand—a small but incredibly powerful gesture after nine days trapped underground. The second worker was carried out on a stretcher, his body coated in mud. With his hands pressed together in prayer, he appeared to
