A Chinese national has been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, 10 days after devastating floods and landslides struck a Himalayan valley. Authorities said Lu Haitao survived inside the tunnel despite the extreme conditions.
The Nepali army said rescuers found Lu inside a 225-meter tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project on Saturday. He became the third person rescued alive from tunnels in the area since the disaster struck on August 26.
Rescue teams pulled two other survivors from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station on Friday. Authorities believe hundreds of people could still be trapped inside several tunnels along the river. Officials have estimated that as many as 900 people may remain stuck in underground structures.
Survivor Taken to Army Hospital
The Nepali army said Lu had no visible injuries and his vital signs remained stable. However, he showed signs of mild hypothermia after spending 10 days underground.
Video released by the army showed rescuers providing emergency medical care to Lu inside a helicopter. The aircraft then transported him to an army hospital for further treatment.
Lu appeared exhausted and confused in the footage. Mud and dust covered his clothes and skin. A uniformed medic used a stethoscope to check his condition as rescuers worked around him.
The disaster has caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal and Tibet. Nepal’s disaster management authority said at least 1,344 people had died in the floods as of Friday. The floods swept through communities near the border with China’s Tibet, destroying homes, roads and schools.
Authorities also listed about 4,887 people as missing, including 583 foreign nationals. Many of the missing foreigners were pilgrims and trekkers.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that 31 people had died in Tibet, while another 531 remained missing. The figures included foreign nationals.
Another Woman Rescued From Flooded Structure
The rescue effort produced another breakthrough on Saturday when the Nepali army pulled Chandika Kumari Shrestha from her home in Betrawati.
Authorities released an image showing Shrestha covered in mud inside a flooded underground area. Rescuers gave her water while working in the cramped space filled with thick sludge.
The latest rescues have also given families renewed hope that other missing people could still survive inside the tunnels.
Families Wait for News of Missing Workers
At the Maithili Barrack in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, families have posted photographs of relatives believed to remain trapped underground.
Among them is Ishwor Poudel, a worker at the Hakubesi Hydroelectric Project. His brother, Krishna Poudel, said Ishwor had worked at the tunnel for about three years.
Krishna said he last spoke to his brother on August 26, shortly before the floodwaters swept through the valley.
He said Ishwor called him after entering the tunnel for work. Later that morning, Krishna managed to reach him again. His brother reportedly told him that he was trapped inside.
The family has not heard from Ishwor since then. However, survivors who escaped from the same tunnel have given them reason to keep hoping.
Krishna said several survivors told the family that Ishwor was still inside. They also reported hearing the voices of hundreds of people calling for help from deeper within the tunnel.
Rescue teams now face a race against time as they continue searching tunnels and other underground structures for survivors.
