Nepal tunnel rescue sparks hope 10 days after deadly floods
Rescue teams in Nepal successfully pulled a Chinese national alive from a tunnel 10 days after devastating floods caused by a glacial collapse. The death toll from the disaster has reached over 1,300, with thousands still missing as search operations continue at multiple hydropower project sites.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the massive scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Himalayas and the ongoing risks to infrastructure workers in disaster-prone regions.
Flash flood survivors look for salvageable belongings at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on September 5, 2026. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)
KATHMANDU, Nepal—Rescuers in Nepal pulled a Chinese national alive from a debris-filled tunnel on Saturday, as emergency teams intensified efforts to find people still missing 10 days after devastating floods .
A joint team from the Nepal Army and foreign experts rescued the man about 225 meters (738 feet) inside the tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district, according to a military statement.
A picture of the rescue published on the army’s Facebook page shows the man, identified only as Luhaitao, with his arms around the shoulders of two camouflage-clad rescuers.
READ: Nepal floods: Hundreds feared stuck in tunnels, death toll over 950
He looked alert but his hands were covered in thick, slimy mud.
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