Kathmandu: A man who was rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in Nepal after nine days Friday said he kept chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ mantra while he was trapped, hoping to be rescued.
And coincidentally, he got rescued on the day of Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu festival which celebrates Krishna’s birthday.
Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old employee of the Nepal Electricity Authority from Saptari district of Madhesh province, was among the two workers rescued.
He told security personnel that he was chanting ‘Hare Krishna” mantra for the last nine days while trapped inside the tunnel.
“I was chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra for the past nine days,” he said, briefly talking about the incident soon after he was taken out safely.
According to security sources, his condition is stable and he has no health concerns. He was taken to a local hospital in Trishuli.
Kabir Maharjan, 45, who was also rescued, has been airlifted to Nepal Army Hospital in Chhauni, Kathmandu as he required further treatment due to health complications.
Sah, a foreman on the project, said he stayed behind as others fled after the disaster because he felt responsible for everyone’s safety.
He said he was working in the control room when the accident occurred.
“I was working in the control room. My responsibility was to save everyone’s life,” Sah said.
He said he urged everyone to run after the accident, but by the time others had left, it was too late for him to escape.
Asked how many people might still be trapped inside, he said he had heard or communicated with three or four people in his vicinity. “There were only three or four people with whom we were able to communicate, nearby, by talking or making noises.”
Sah also said there could be more people trapped deeper inside the tunnel, including around the powerhouse. “Not everyone may have been able to escape. The tunnel is very long,” he said, adding that the force of the floodwater could have carried people deeper inside.
The Nepal Army-led security command has been engaged in the search and rescue operation using specialised equipment.