A Chinese national has been rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, 10 days after a devastating flash flood swept through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving thousands missing.
The Nepali Army identified the survivor as Lu Haitao, who was pulled from a 225-metre tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district on Saturday.
Lu was found with mild hypothermia but was otherwise in stable condition and was taken for medical treatment, according to authorities. His rescue came as Nepalese and international teams continued searching for people trapped or missing following the disaster on August 26.
The disaster followed a glacier collapse that sent a wall of ice, rocks and mud through the valley, damaging communities, roads and several hydropower facilities. The disaster also cut off some areas and made access difficult for rescue teams.
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The rescue has brought renewed hope to families still waiting for news of missing workers.
Krishna, whose brother Ishwor Poudel remains missing, told Reuters that he had spoken with his brother before he entered the tunnel on the morning of August 26. After the flood struck, Krishna managed to reach him by phone.
“I spoke to him at 7:30 a.m. before he went into the tunnel for work. Around 11:30 a.m., after the floods came down, I finally got through and he told me: ‘I’m trapped inside the tunnel,’” Krishna said, according to Reuters.
Lu’s rescue followed the recovery of two Nepalese hydropower workers from another tunnel on Friday, after they survived for nine days. Their rescue raised hopes that additional workers could still be alive inside tunnels affected by the flooding.
Rescue operations have been complicated by mud, rocks, water and damaged infrastructure, making it difficult for rescuers to reach the affected tunnels.
Reuters reported on Saturday that at least 1,344 people had died in Nepal and about 4,887 remained missing. On the Chinese side of the border, authorities reported 31 deaths and 531 people still missing in Tibet, according to Reuters.
The disaster has prompted an international rescue effort, with teams working in difficult terrain and hazardous conditions. Authorities are also providing assistance to communities affected by the flooding while continuing recovery operations.
The discovery of survivors more than a week after the disaster has strengthened hopes that others could still be found alive.
Search and rescue operations remain underway at several hydropower facilities and other affected locations as authorities work to locate missing people, recover victims and provide assistance to communities devastated by the floods and landslides.
