In brief
After the catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal‑Tibet border claimed over 1,300 lives, survivors cheered when two people were rescued from a collapsed tunnel a week after the disaster. The operation, carried out by the Nepali army amid mud and rock obstacles, has provided families with a tangible sign of life despite the ongoing search’s difficulties. BBC correspondent Azadeh Moshiri reports on the emotional relief felt by relatives and the relentless commitment of local forces to finish the mission. This small victory underscores the resilience of the people and the possibility that more survivors may still be found. As rescue teams continue their search, the tunnel rescues have sparked renewed hope across the region.
When the flash floods that swept across the Nepal‑Tibet border claimed over 1,300 lives, the world watched a tolling river of despair roll through villages and towns. In the weeks that followed, the Nepali army intensified its search, battling with mud, debris and falling rocks. On September 2nd, two survived rescue teams found alive inside a collapsed tunnel, turning a bleak moment into a spark of joy for desperate families still waiting for news of missing relatives.
“These are people who hadn’t been seen for days, when all we could do was pray,” said Azadeh Moshiri, BBC’s South Asia correspondent, describing the emotional weight on the rescuers’ shoulders. The tunnel itself, a narrow passage that had been closed by the floodwaters, was described as “layer upon layer of miracles” in the BBC’s coverage. It’s a testament to the commitment of local forces and volunteers fighting with limited resources.
The rescue accelerated more than a week after the main onslaught, yet the relief was immediate. Families who had received repeated break‑ups counted the rescue as a literal lifeline, a tangible sign that their loved ones might be alive. The survivors themselves, composed yet visibly shaken, expressed gratitude for the relentless effort that drew them out of burial and into the open.
While the long‑term search for missing victims continues, these rescues give hope that more survivors may surface from other tunnels, abandoned homes and flooded villages. The long‑term goal for the Nepali army remains to locate every missing person, but each rescue provides a tangible example of human perseverance and the community’s resilience in the face of unprecedented natural disaster.
You can follow further updates by bookmarking the Nepal news feed or by checking related stories on BBC.com. To stay connected with on‑ground reports, keep an eye on the latest updates from the BBC’s South Asia section.
