A man who was rescued from a tunnel in Nepal on Friday following the flash floods that have killed hundreds has said that he kept chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ mantra while being trapped, and coincidently, he was rescued on Krishna Janmashtami.
The man, identified as 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, was a worker of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). He originally hails from Nepal’s Saptari district of the Madhesh province. He was rescued by officials nine days after getting trapped inside the tunnel
‘Kept chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra’
Speaking to reporters briefly on Friday after his miraculous rescue, Sah said he kept chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ mantra for nine straight days inside the tunnel, while staying behind after others fled following the tragedy.
“I was chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra for the past nine days,” he said, as cited by news agency PTI.
Sah was rushed to a hospital located in Trishuli after being provided initial medical assistance at the spot. As of now, his condition remains stable and he has no health concerns.
‘Urged others to leave’
Sah, who was rescued along with 45-year-old Kabir Maharjan, who has been airlifted to Nepal Army Hospital in Kathmandu’s Chhauni due to his health complications, has said he was inside the control room when the disaster took place.
“I was working in the control room. My responsibility was to save everyone’s life,” Sah said, while adding that he had urged others to leave. By the time others left, it was too late for him to escape.
“There were only three or four people with whom we were able to communicate, nearby, by talking or making noises,” Sah said, as he added that many others could be trapped inside the tunnel. “Not everyone may have been able to escape. The tunnel is very long.”
The tunnel collapse at Trishuli 3A hydropower project
The tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project collapsed in Nepal following last week’s flash floods. Two of the trapped people, Sah and Maharjan, were rescued on Friday following a daring rescue operation by Nepal Army and Armed Police Force.
The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, have claimed over 1,250 lives in Nepal, while more than 4,700 remain missing. This includes over 600 people who were working at 11 hydropower projects across the country.
(With inputs from PTI)
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