Key facts
- Sanjay Sah survived nine days trapped in a dark tunnel at a hydropower station in Nepal after a flood.
- Sah drank floodwater and seepage water from the mountain rock for sustenance.
- He recited the Hindu Maha Mantra, 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,' to cope with fear and despair.
- Sah lost track of time, believing only two or three days had passed when he was actually rescued on the 10th day.
- He sustained injuries, including cuts and scrapes, from debris and pierced feet from broken objects.
- Sah heard sounds of excavators and ladders 10 to 12 hours before his rescue, which gave him hope.
Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old mechanical foreman, recounted his harrowing nine-day survival after being trapped in a dark tunnel at Nepal's Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station following a devastating flood. The flood, caused by a Himalayan glacier collapse in late August, has claimed at least 1,300 lives and left over 5,300 missing across Nepal and China's Tibet region.
Sah, who worked at the state-run Nepal Electricity Authority's run-of-river hydropower station for over three years, was in the multi-storied powerhouse when the disaster struck. He described keeping his eyes closed for long periods due to fear of injury from debris, which made it difficult to open them later. He survived by drinking floodwater and seepage water from the mountain rock, as he had no food.
During his ordeal, Sah turned to the Hindu Maha Mantra, chanting 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,' which he said gave him a sense of calm and spiritual experience, preventing him from giving up quickly. He was on the fifth floor of the six-floor powerhouse and tried shouting from an opening, but received no response. He maintained confidence that a rescue would come, drawing strength from thoughts of his family, including his wife and 2-year-old daughter.
Sah lost track of time, believing only a few days had passed when he was actually rescued on the 10th day. He sustained cuts and scrapes from debris, with some objects piercing his feet. The flood had transformed the familiar tunnel into a treacherous landscape of mud, scattered equipment, and collapsed walls. He initially tried to move but decided to stay put in what he believed was the safest location, where rescuers eventually found him.
In the final hours before his rescue, Sah heard sounds of excavators and ladders, which provided him with significant hope. He also mentioned encountering Kabir Maharjan, 45, who was also trapped with more severe injuries. Sah and Maharjan had headed upwards to escape the initial flood, believing it wouldn't reach the sixth floor, but were separated in the chaos. Sah expressed sadness that some people he had advised to evacuate from the tunnel were swept away by the flood.