Rescuers in Nepal have pulled two workers alive from an underground hydropower tunnel, nine days after devastating floods swept through villages and buried parts of the Himalayan region under mud and debris.
The dramatic rescue on Friday has raised hopes that dozens of other workers believed to be trapped underground could also still be alive.
Search teams heard voices coming from inside the tunnel earlier in the day, helping rescuers determine the location of the trapped workers.
Images from the operation showed one survivor covered in mud being carried on the back of a rescuer, with soldiers assisting on both sides.
One of the rescued workers reportedly told authorities that more people were still alive inside the tunnel, prompting emergency teams to continue the search.
Both survivors were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu. One of them was reported to be in critical condition.
Officials identified the rescued men as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor working at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant.
The family of one survivor described the rescue as an overwhelming moment after more than a week of uncertainty.
The workers had been trapped since severe flooding struck the area nine days earlier, sweeping away villages and leaving widespread destruction.
Rescue operations are continuing as teams race to reach the remaining people believed to be trapped inside the tunnel.
