UN climate chief: EU's "hellish summer" is adding inflation pressures

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• Brazil targets COP31 agreement to target China as buyer of Carbon Credits

  Brazil will use a 'high-level visit' to China next Monday to 'assess if Beijing could become a purchaser of Brazilian carbon credits, and to advance the talks towards a bilateral market agreement that officials hope they can announce at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey this November. Discussions between top climate officials and carbon-market representatives from both countries will be held in conjunction with meetings at Wuhan, China from September 14 to 18 where a coalition of Brazil-China and EU carbon market jurisdictions that covers roughly 42% global emissions are set to approve a?plan of work aimed at gradually integrating and aligning trading systems. Reis said that the trip to China would also be a test to see if the Asian nation could "become an ITMO buyer, or a buyer for internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs), a type carbon credit which counts towards countries' official emissions under the Paris Agreement. Reis stated that "if this?happens then Brazil should be the first country to offer high integrity credits." China is the only country that has signed an official agreement to trade in?ITMOs. It is also the largest emissions trading system in the world. OFFICIALS ANALYZE ACCELERATING INTERNATIONAL TRADE Carbon credits in Brazil are currently only traded on voluntary markets where companies can purchase credits to meet their own emission reduction goals. Brazil, under the legislation passed in 2024 is now preparing its own regulated market for carbon credits, where companies can buy them to reach their official targets of decarbonization. This will allow Brazil to trade internationally via ITMOs. Reis stated that the plan is to set up a system for verifying credits in international trades by 2031-2035. The government is now considering industry requests for an earlier timeline. She said, "It's on the table." "Those who are evaluating the submissions think that possibility is viable." Brazil's carbon credits producers are closely watching the issue, eager to tap into international compliance markets. COALITION MOVES OUT OF VISION AND INTO IMPLEMENTATION Officials from Brazil, China, and the European Union will also approve a plan of work for the Carbon-Market?Coalition, which was launched earlier this month to improve compatibility between markets. According to Brazilian officials, the coalition has already 11 members. It is looking for additional participants from developing countries. Ana?Paula Cavalcante is Brazil's assistant secretary for carbon market regulation and methods. She added that "Both the alliance and the closer relationship between China and Brazil can help scale-up carbon markets and unlock investments flows for Brazil, as it seeks reindustrialization around new technologies."

• Data shows that Indonesian wildfires are the world's most destructive.

  Data released on Wednesday showed that Indonesia has the highest carbon dioxide levels in the world due to wildfires burning across parched forest and peatland in Borneo, Sumatra and other islands. Fire Emissions Watch is a portal created by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Monitoring Service. It shows that Indonesian fire emissions between September 1 and September 7 reached?19.7 millions metric tons. This week, Indonesia overtook Russia, making up a third or more of the total global. Indonesia has one of the most dangerous fire seasons in the world. But as "super El Nino" weather conditions cause temperatures to rise and droughts to worsen, authorities are battling the most intense wildfires season the country has seen in 11 years. Mark Parrington, senior researcher at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said: "We expect some fires to occur in the region this time of the year. But with El Nino it gives them a huge boost." "These fires are burning in a much more extreme manner when they ignite." Copernicus data revealed that between September 1 and September 7, the fire emission intensity was more than 1,500 kg/sqkm, which is 10 times higher than the Russian level. The highest concentrations were in Kalimantan, Indonesia's part of Borneo, and the eastern parts Sumatra. The emissions were 273% above the seasonal average but still lower than 21.7 million tonnes emitted during the same week in 2015 when Indonesia was fighting?similarly intensive El Nino conditions. According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company, the city of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan was one of the worst affected areas. The air quality index on Wednesday reached 394. A reading of 300 is considered dangerous. In a press release, Indonesia's Environment Ministry said that the readings of hazardous air quality in Kalimantan (and elsewhere) were "of concern". It said that it monitored Copernicus data but also added that it "doesn't directly reflect air-quality conditions in a particular area" and other factors had to be taken into consideration. "BELOW THE DETECTION LINE" Nisa Novita, of the environmental group YKAN that helps communities fight fires, stated that from January to July of this year, around 202,000 hectares (780 sq miles) of Indonesian lands were burned. This is about a third of what was burnt during the same time period in 2015. She said that August data "shows a significant growth of approximately 600,000 hectares in Kalimantan and Sumatra, as well as South Papua." In 2015, Indonesia lost an area larger than Wales of 2.6 millions hectares due to fire. According to the Indonesian Forest Ministry monitoring platform Sipongi based on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellite data, from August 1, 2015 to September 8, 2016, there were 13,443 hotspots recorded, compared with 9,454 during the same period in 2015. Sipongi data revealed that a record high monthly for hotspots occurred in October 2015. Fire Emissions Watch estimates particulate matter concentrations, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), greenhouse gases, and other fire-fuelled pollutions using satellite observations. But Parrington says it may actually be "underestimating" the extent of problem. He said that if peat fires are burning underground or at low temperatures, the sensors will not detect them. Fires in Indonesia produced more emissions each day in 2015 than the entire EU and caused more than 100,000 extra deaths in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. "We have to remember that we are still at the beginning of the summer season and we expect fires to continue, and emissions to increase, possibly through the end of October like we did in 2015." said Parrington. In two months, we will know the extent of this year's El Nino, but early indications suggest that it has been at a pace, if only slightly higher than previous El Nino seasons.

• The Netherlands opens Europe's largest Carbon Capture Facility

  The largest carbon-capture facility in Europe, developed by Yara International of Norway, opened?in The Netherlands on Monday. The CCS facility in 'Sluiskil in southern Dutch province of Zeeland will reduce emissions at Europe's biggest fertiliser production site and transport captured CO2 to Norway, Yara stated. Yara Sluiskil is set to capture and liquefy?CO2 up to 800,000.0 metric tons per year by 2026. Northern Lights, a transport and storage operator in Norway, will store and transport the carbon 2.6 km (1.65 miles) below the Norwegian continental shelf. Yara hopes to remove 12 million tonnes of CO2 from the site over 15 years. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere stated that the Sluiskil Project offers a solution which is both scientifically and commercially viable. Our climate challenge is in the industry, because there we have labor, capital and technology. Energy is everywhere. Stoere stated that the Netherlands should be a leader in the energy nations. The European Union is planning to use carbon capture technology in order to achieve its 2050 "net-zero emission" target, especially for industrial processes like chemical manufacturing where there are no low-carbon alternatives available. Despite the fact that this technology has been a stumbling block in Europe for many years, it is still gaining traction. Critics say CCS allows companies to continue producing oil and gas, while promising to capture future emissions.

• RPT-Lynas Rare Earths claims it was in talks to takeover RPT-Lynas Rare Earths earlier this year

  A spokesperson for Australia's Lynas Rare Earths said that the company was in takeover discussions earlier this year, but they 'did not' proceed. Three people said that the talks led Lynas, through Chairman John Humphrey, to suspend its search to find a new CEO for Amanda Lacaze, who retired from her position in June. Lynas plays a major role in developing a Western supply network for metals that are crucial to electric cars, wind turbines and defence systems. This is also an important draw for Australia, as it has committed to being a major supplier of minerals to its allies. Any acquisition by a foreign company requires?approval from the country's regulatory authorities. The spokesperson responded to a question regarding the company's involvement in takeover discussions by saying that the earlier discussions had a lot of uncertainty. Lynas held post-results discussion with investors in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week. Lacaze left the company on January 13th. Humphrey explained to investors why the CEO search took so long, said the investors, who spoke?on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue. Humphrey, according to one investor, told him that the CEO search was suspended for 4 1/2 months. How could they not disclose? Another investor agreed. "It is not a short time." Lynas didn't mention in its statement whether the CEO search was suspended. Because the search process had not been completed before Lacaze's retirement, Lynas appointed Pol Le Roux as interim CEO. It said that the CEO search is still ongoing. DIFFERENTIATE SUPPLY CHAINS Lynas had previously been in merger talks with a U.S. based company called?MP Materials. The talks ended in 2024 when the companies couldn't agree on valuation. It wasn't immediately clear which company had been involved in the discussions this year. According to Australian takeover laws, a listed company is not required to reveal that the CEO search was suspended. The company must disclose the suspension if it is "market sensitive." The news of the talks came as top-developed economies around the world scrambled to support the development and diversification of supply chains away from dominant supplier?China. Lacaze's footsteps are likely to be hard to fill. Over her 12-year tenure, she oversaw the 12-fold increase in the?share prices of the company as it grew to a $16-billion company. Lynas reported last week a significant increase in its annual profit. This was aided by record-high average selling prices of?rare earth oxide and strong demand. However, it fell short of?market expectations. The company also stated that it would expand its global supply chain. It is currently in discussions with mine suppliers from around the globe and will support the development of an American magnet supply chain.

• US States sue Trump Administration for weakening endangered animal protections

  On Wednesday, two U.S. state filed lawsuits accusing President Donald Trump's administration?of illegally weakening federal Endangered Species Act. This landmark law has protected the bald?eagle from the dangers posed by the development. In a?one? lawsuit, states challenged a law that narrowed a definition of harm. This had included habitats where animals were endangered. Oil drilling, mining, and other activities are allowed in these habitats as long as they do not directly harm or kill the animals. Two rules are at issue in the other lawsuit. The first rule "eliminates protections for new threatened species, unless the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will create species-specific protections. The second rule states that the government must consider objections from developers, fossil-fuel companies and other businesses prior to declaring areas as "critical habitats." Letitia J., New York Attorney general, said that the attorneys general of 20 states as well as the District of Columbia filed one or both lawsuits. The Endangered Species Act, passed by Congress in 1973 has been credited for saving a number of animals, including the California Condor, Grizzly Bear and Humpback Whale from extinction. Trump's goal is to reduce regulations, which he claims are a constraint on American businesses. This includes the scaling back of various environmental initiatives and standards. Wildlife advocates often consider habitat destruction to be the leading cause of animal extinction. Interior Secretary Doug 'Burgum said that the Endangered Species Act had been "weaponized". This has weakened competitiveness, undermined national security and hurt Americans' pockets. He said that the new rules aligned the law more closely with its original intention. The changes are a result of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that overruled a precedent dating back 40 years, which required courts to give deference to federal agencies reasonable interpretations on laws they administer.

• Nepal uses drones to provide flood relief

  After last month's floods, Nepalese army has turned to drones to provide relief to the displaced. Since a Himalayan iceberg broke off at the Nepal-China boundary in late August, more than 5,000 people have been confirmed missing and dead in Nepal. "Most our helicopters are busy with rescue operations." Drones are the only way to deliver food, medicine, fuel and other 'essentials'. He said drones can be used to transport up to 60 kg (132 lbs), and are capable of traveling up to 4 km (2 miles). They have already made a difference for communities that desperately need aid. A fleet of four DJI FlyCart100 drones donated by China, as part of an aid package, allows the army to make around 10-16 deliveries per day. Drones are also used to move flood victims' bodies in some areas. They have also played a major role in search and rescue missions. We've been moving back and forth in the early morning. It is a bit hectic because we have to get this done right away," said Milan Pandey, a drone operator at Airlift Technology. Pandey stated that "Nepal's geography and terrain would make drones much faster, cheaper, and more efficient."

• Inditex, Zara's owner, reports strong August sales despite heatwaves

  Inditex, the owner of Zara, reported better than expected results for its autumn trading on Wednesday. Currency-adjusted sales were up 9% during August, even as extreme heat in Europe changed shopping habits in Zara's biggest market. Fast-fashion giant, Zara, made EUR11 billion ($12.8billion) in sales during its second quarter from May to July. This was a good showing considering the summer's high energy prices and the weakened consumer sentiment due to?the ongoing Iran War. Oscar Garcia Maceiras, CEO of the company, said that "these excellent results demonstrate the extraordinary abilities of our teams." He added that they were operating in an "extremely complex global environment." Inditex's share price is soaring: it hit a record EUR59.1 in the last month. The IPO filings by Shein, a cheap fashion platform, revealed a slowed down sales pace, a sign that the pressure on European fast-fashion companies like Zara and H&M to compete is easing. Inditex is trying to attract more lower-income shoppers that may have been turned off by Zara's move to higher prices. Inditex's first-half gross profit increased by 8.3% to EUR11.6 Billion, with a margin of 58.7%. LONGER, HOTTER SUMMERS The hot weather is affecting retailers in Europe and America, who are forced to change their sourcing schedules. According to European Union scientists Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July ever, as climate changes pushed temperatures up, fueling?wildfires throughout the region. RBC analysts estimate that Inditex's annual capital expenditure is three times greater than its Swedish competitor H&M.

• Indian sponge iron is at a two-year high due to imports of coal and domestic shortages.

  India's benchmark prices for sponge iron surged to a two-year peak in August, as traders and analysts reported that the cost of production increased due to higher import coal prices and tighter domestic fuel supplies. India is the 'world's largest producer of sponge iron, with 336 plants producing about 50 million tons. This material is mainly used by secondary steel producers as a raw materials. Traders say that the steel and sponge-iron sector, which accounts for 40% of India's coal imports, is India's largest consumer. According to iEnergy Natural Resources, a coal dealer based in Gujarat, India's thermal coke imports by steel and sponge iron manufacturers fell 19% in India in July, after falling 11% in June. The Middle East tensions have pushed bunker costs and insurance costs to multi-year heights, increasing landed cost into India, said Vasudev Pamnani, director of the trader. Pamnani said that despite low inventories, higher costs have discouraged sponge iron manufacturers from stockpiling their coal. Since long, the industry has 'preferred' imported coal and uses domestic coal as a replacement. Since May, however, domestic coal supplies have been limited as the priority was given to the power sector due to higher electricity demand in the summer. Fuel inventories in several power generators are at critical low levels due to the seasonal monsoon rains that have caused disruptions to coal supply from mines and railway transport. Rahul Mittal is the chairman of Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association. The sponge iron industry uses coal from South Africa. According to traders, several Asian countries, including Vietnam and South Korea are turning to South African coal in order to meet a higher demand for power. The price of coal has increased across all key markets due to the higher demand. Since May, the price of coal in Indonesia has risen by 18%-20%. Prices for coal in Russia and South Africa have also risen by 14% and 19.9%, respectively. Mittal said Indian coal would be the replacement, but monsoon rainfalls slowed down dispatches and pushed up prices. He added that the demand for sponge iron is still 'robust'. BigMint, a commodities consultancy, says that the benchmark Indian sponge iron price rose to a new two-year high in August of 29,700 rupees (US$313) per ton. Analysts and the industry anticipate that prices will remain high for at least a couple more months.

• Nike shareholders reject climate proposals backed by Norway Wealth Fund

  Nike announced on Tuesday that its shareholders rejected a proposal calling for more transparency in regards to the sportswear company's climate goals. This included revealing details about how it intends?to reach its?emissions reduction targets. The resolution of the'shareholders' raised questions about Nike's environmental goals, given that it is facing financial pressure, U.S. government pressure, and international regulatory scrutiny for misleading environmental claims. Nike, based in Oregon, said it would reduce its carbon emission by 65% within its own operations by 2019 and by 30% across its supply chains by 2030. In a fiscal update for 2024 it reported that its supply chain emissions were down 11% from the baseline of 2015. The company did not disclose the vote totals of its shareholders. It has a capitalization market value of $56 billion. Norway's wealth funds, according to LSEG, the 11th largest shareholder in Nike, announced this week that it will support the drive for greater transparency. Nike hasn't dropped the ball. Giovanna Eichner, shareholder advocacy at Green Century Capital Management, the company that introduced the climate proposal, said, "We want to know more about what is really happening." It's not clear if the same level of commitment is being made to achieving goals. Nike's 2024 impact report detailed the company's efforts to recycle polyester and rubber, and assist factories in its supply chains source renewable energy. Last year, the details of these climate initiatives were replaced with a list containing data on waste and emissions. Nike's Board urged shareholders to reject the proposal. In a filing, the board stated that Nike remains committed to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and that management is the "best-positioned" to determine targets and disclosures. Athletic footwear maker, Elliott Hill, is struggling with slumping sales and declining market share. This comes after two years of his tenure. Shares are down about 40% this year. EXECUTIVE COMMUNITY COMPENSATION APPROVED The company's shareholders voted in favor of the contested proposal to approve executive compensation on Tuesday. Hill's compensation totaled more than $36 million for fiscal 2026. Norway's wealth funds had stated that it would vote against executive compensation. They argued that Nike's Board "should ensure that benefits are clearly justified in terms of business." Glass Lewis and Institutional?Shareholder?Services, proxy advisers, had advised voting against the compensation packages. A proposal from a group conservative investors asking Nike to exclude gender transition surgery for minors from employee health plans failed as well. This resolution, which was part of a larger campaign against employers and Nike, has increased scrutiny over Nike's diversity policies.

• China's August imports of iron ore exceeded expectations as typhoons delayed July customs clearance

  China's iron ore imports rose by 0.4% in August compared to a month ago, defying analyst's expectations of a drop, after multiple typhoons hit ports and delayed clearance. Data from the General Administration of Customs revealed on Tuesday that the world's biggest iron ore consumer imported 108.54 metric tons of this key ingredient for steelmaking last month. This is a 3.1% increase from the previous year. Four analysts predicted August ore imports between 107 and 108 millions tons before the release of data. Steven?Yu is a senior analyst with Mysteel. The monthly increase in ore imports could be due to the fact that some cargoes arrived in July but only cleared customs last month. Yu explained that our earlier forecast predicted July imports to be higher than a month ago, but instead it showed a decline. As part of a new El Nino weather pattern, China has experienced frequent and intense typhoons in the last two months. The typhoons had a negative impact on August's shipments, but the higher shipments made up for it. Data from the shipping tracker Kpler revealed that global iron ore shipments into China increased 6.6% in August compared to a month ago. According to Mysteel data, the ore demand was lower last month. The average daily hot metal production fell by 0.7% from one month to another. Iron ore imports in the first eight-month period of this year totaled 845.27 millions tons, an increase of 5.5% over a year ago. RESILIENT?STEEL EXPORTS Analysts said that China's steel exports in August were resilient as export prices remained low and overseas demand remained steady. The August steel exports rose 6.8% and 0.4% respectively compared to the previous month. They reached 10.16 million tonnes, a record high for a 4th consecutive month. Kexin Bai is an analyst with Shanghai Metals Market. She said that the price competitiveness of Chinese Steel appealed to some emerging markets which are price sensitive. Also, shipments to Africa and South America grew as Middle East tensions disrupted the shipping flow via the Persian Gulf. The total steel exports between January and August fell 3% compared to a year ago, to 75.15 millions tons.

• Australia prepares for its own fire seasons after European summer's heat

  Australian firefighters are on alert after a destructive fire season in Europe. Australia has already experienced a'strong El Nino' weather event, which is characterized by hotter and drier conditions, as well as an increased risk of fires. Trent Curtin is the head of New South Wales Rural Fire Service (the world's largest volunteer firefighting service). Europe's fastest warming continent has experienced a scorching summer, which left the vegetation tinder dry and fueled severe wildfires. Italy's summer was the warmest in 75 years, while Britain's was the hottest since records began. Curtin stated that "we're experiencing some unusual conditions in the Northern Hemisphere right now." "They are experiencing fires they haven't experienced in a few decades, or maybe never before." Australia has a history of battling wildfires. The Black Summer fires of 2019 and 2020 destroyed an area as large as Turkey, killing 33 people. Authorities often conduct controlled burns to reduce the risk of wildfires. "This year, we are alert but not alarmed. "We're aware that the seasonal outlook expects a more active fire season than usual - conditions will also be hot and dry," said Alex Capararo. He was leading a hazard-reduction burn about three hours north of Sydney. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the peak 'fire danger season' usually begins?mid-October in the northern parts of New South Wales and in December in the southern areas.

• Two men survive nine days in the flood tunnels of Nepal

  Kabir Maharjan, a delirious man, drifted in-and-out of consciousness in the darkness of a?pool muddied with water. He had been trapped in a tunnel for nine days under the wreckage caused by Nepal's worst flooding disaster in decades. He did not recognise his wife when he woke up in a hospital, after a miraculous rescue. He asked her, confused, why she hadn't given him a place to sleep sooner. Maharjan is believed to be one of hundreds hydropower workers who were buried by a collapsed glacier above Nepal's Trishuli Valley on August 26. The wall of mud and water unleashed killed over 1,300 people, and thousands of others are still missing in Nepal and neighboring Tibet. Both he and the mechanical foreman Sanjay sah were able to survive in an air-filled room, according to Shri Ram Neupane. He is a veteran engineer who led the rescue effort. The search teams that are working along the valley's devastated sites have hope because of their rescue against the odds. Some of the 121 workers believed to still be trapped in the tunnels on Monday may still be alive. The full story has been reconstructed through interviews with 12 people. This includes the unreported accounts of relatives, engineers and government officials, as well as rescuers who were directly involved. Site documents, maps and internal conversations among rescuers have also been reviewed. THE MORNING Maharjan had called his wife at 7:30 am (0145 GMT) the morning of the tragedy before he started his shift at Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. He told her, "I must go into the tunnel." There won't even be a network in the tunnel. A glacier collapsed on the Langtang Lirung Mountain, some 25 miles downstream, causing an avalanche so powerful it flooded villages and submerged 12 hydropower plants with almost 900 workers. On their screens, officials from the electricity department in Kathmandu monitored the power supply of the various projects. Then, the screens went blank. Stations started to disappear from the panels like dominoes. Suraj Dahal said that he wasn't alarmed at first because "floods" are common in Nepal. Soon, they understood that the opposite was true. It took two minutes longer to contact the estimated 40 workers inside because the 3A station manager, who was away at the time, had been called. At least two hydropower plants upriver were already affected by then. Officials gave the order for 3A to evacuate at 9:15 am, two minutes after Maharjan’s wife, Hira-Shova Maharjan had attempted to contact him but failed. Sah, who was in the control room of the powerhouse, ran from floor to floor warning each colleague individually, he told rescuers. Workers attempting to escape the flood outside the tunnels were unable to do so quickly enough. Officials pointed to footage that showed a group of about 30 workers being swept away by waves many times higher than their own height. Dahal said that rescuers found an escape ladder, which had the workers been aware of it, they could have saved up to two-thirds. He said that they "didn’t know where to turn." Rescuers thought that the one tunnel access route, which ran over 180 meters, was completely flooded and offered no hope of survival. Neupane turned instead his attention to a smaller cable-duct that sloped up and was less vulnerable to floodwaters. Maharjan and Sah took shelter there, only 160 meters away from the exit - "at the corner, on the edge of tunnel", as Maharjan later described it to his spouse. Fear of the Worst The air pocket, which had saved their lives, became their prison for the next nine days. Sah said he recited Hindu prayer to keep his bravery. Maharjan's wife claimed that he drank the same muddy water as he did to sleep in order to remain alive. Hira Shova assumed that the powerhouse was safe when she first heard of the flood. She called her husband, co-workers, and anyone else who could have some information. Nobody answered. She was shocked to see photos of the entrance, which is now a barren riverbank. "He couldn't be alive", she thought. She recalled that "deep down in my soul, a terrible sense of hopelessness was setting into," but she maintained a brave face in front of her 15-year-old and 10-year old sons. RACE AGAINST MOUNTAIN Officials thought that oxygen pockets scattered throughout the wreckage could help some workers survive. Dharamraj Uprety of Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said that with more than 7,500 homes destroyed in the valley, rescuers were forced to make tough decisions on where to dig. 3A was near the top because officials believed its multi-story structure with turbines and ventilation floor might have trapped air pockets. Sagar Dhakal and Neupane, along with Neupane and Sagar Dhakal as well as an army helicopter, arrived at the site the day following the disaster. The debris was so saturated that heavy machinery could not be moved in right away. "Everything that you drop there just sinks," said Prakash Pokhrel a geologist at Nepal's Disaster Management Authority. Before any excavations could start, crews had to first build a stable surface. Three days after the catastrophe, serious digging began. All four tunnels had been blocked by mud, rocks, timber, and debris. Some of this was buried beneath 15 to 30 meters of landslide materials. Rescuers used drilling, controlled explosions and heavy equipment to make a way forward. The breakthrough was when a 5-inch hole drilled above confirmed the true alignment of the tunnel, giving crews an exact point to dig towards. The rain made things worse. Rain flooded the shaft with debris and fresh water several nights in a row, undoing all of our hard work. Amshu Kiran, a member of the board of the Nepal Electricity Authority, stated that it took the rescuers six days to reach the tunnel entrance. They called for survivors but nobody responded. The Breakthrough Rescuers couldn't move a wall of mud clogged debris the night before they found the survivors. Dhakal’s crew used improvised methods to clear the tunnel. They tapped a natural channel 15 meters above it and forced water through with a high pressure jet. It rained again and triggered a partial collapse, trapping several rescuers for a short time. After hours of stalling, colleagues convinced them to return inside and reinforced the passageway with metal sheets and gabion. Dahal received a phone call at 4 am on the 10th night from a heavy-equipment operator. The rescuers heard something. A noise. A noise. Perhaps the voices of rescuers calling out into the darkness. Ganga Baral led the rescue effort and said that they heard noises while drilling into the tunnel. They cut the engines of their machines again and again to listen. We would shout, "Where are you?" "Are you there?" Baral said. "Sometimes, it felt as if there was someone alive trying to talk to us," Baral said. The source of the sound was still too far away to make out any words, but now they estimated it to be only 15-20 meters away. They saw a hand in the light beam. Between them and the survivor, they had to cross another 5-10 meters of mud. Soldiers opened a small opening at 7:00 am. The only word that came out was "hunuhuncha", loosely translated as "we are here". SEE THE LIGHT Both men were unable to stand up when the rescuers finally lifted them out of the tunnel. Sah's face was caked with mud and he had to be carried on the back of a rescuer. He was able to raise one hand towards a camera. Maharjan was carried out by a stretcher with more serious injuries. "Mummy! Papa is back!" "Mummy, Papa is back!" shouted his sons when they heard. Dhakal wept as the two men emerged. Dhakal had never been inside the tunnel but ran the operation. "I could not hold back my tears," Dhakal said. The Chinese national Lu Haitao, was discovered the following day in the tunnels of another station, Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project. Maharjan’s wife reported that doctors at the hospital operated on a deep infected cut on his leg. He did not recognize Hira Shova when she walked into the room. He asked, "Where am i?" She was thrilled that he had returned to life. He is blessed with a second life.