Kathmandu: Nine days after a devastating flash flood swept through parts of Nepal and killed more than 1,200 people, a glimmer of hope emerged underground as rescuers pulled two people alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project.

Rescue teams are continuing their efforts at the hydropower site, where more people are believed to remain trapped.

The first survivor was identified as Sanjaya Shah, a mechanical foreman with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Suresh Raut, a senior NEA official present at the rescue site, told the BBC that oxygen was being administered to Shah following his rescue.

Shah was later airlifted to Battar, north-west of the capital Kathmandu.

The rescue brought an immediate wave of relief among Shah's colleagues, who had spent days waiting for news from the site.

'I am so, so happy, I have been waiting for the news. This has given hope that others will also be rescued alive,' Suresh Chaudhari, Shah's colleague, told the BBC.

Authorities subsequently confirmed that Kabir Maharjan was the second person rescued from the project.

While Shah was not in a condition to speak, officials said Maharjan 'smiled and was thankful' after being brought out.

The news also brought relief to Maharjan's family. His wife was preparing to travel to Chhauni Hospital, a military hospital in Kathmandu, where he is expected to receive medical attention.

The two rescues have offered a crucial boost to the ongoing operation at the Trishuli 3A project, with teams still working to reach others believed to be trapped inside the tunnel.

The development comes nine days after the flash flood that caused widespread devastation in Nepal, leaving more than 1,200 people dead.