In Nepal, two workers have been rescued from a blocked hydroelectric power plant tunnel nine days after a flood

In Nepal, two workers have been rescued from a blocked hydroelectric power plant tunnel nine days after a devastating flood on the border with China, the BBC reports.

According to representatives of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), both workers sustained injuries to their arms and legs, presumably from attempting to crawl through the narrow tunnels. The victims were also diagnosed with oxygen deprivation. Immediately after their evacuation, they were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu.

It is expected that at least 39 more people will be rescued from the tunnel in the near future; early Friday morning, rescuers heard human voices. To sustain the lives of those trapped, engineers are continuously pumping air into the underground passages.

A large-scale search and rescue operation is ongoing. More than 150 people may still be trapped in the extensive network of underground structures of the hydroelectric power plants located along the river.

At least 1,200 people have already died as a result of the catastrophic flooding in the region.