10 days after Nepal flash floods, woman, Chinese man rescued

KATHMANDU: Two individuals were rescued alive from distinct flood-affected locations on Saturday, 10 days after the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli flood in Nepal. Chandika Kumari Shrestha, aged 64, was discovered semi-conscious on the upper level of a four-story residence inundated with debris in Betrawati, Nuwakot district, while her relatives had already accepted defeat and initiated symbolic funeral rites in Kathmandu.

In Rasuwa, Chinese laborer Luhaitao was pulled out alive from the Audit 4 tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project, approximately 225 meters inside the tunnel. Nepal police reported that a nine-member team, led by inspector Suman Kumar BK, rescued Chandika from the residence, which officials identified as belonging to Anand Shrestha.

She was initially airlifted to Nepal Army's Maithili Barracks in Trishuli Bazaar for preliminary assessment and subsequently transferred to Birendra Military Hospital in Kathmandu. Authorities noted that she sustained injuries on her feet. Her son, Ashish Shrestha, explained that their family's domicile had been obliterated by the floodwaters, which reduced it to rubble.

Only the couple resided in the home at the time, and the father remains unaccounted for. Neighbors recounted that the four-story structure was dislodged from its original position and deposited near the Trishuli bank, but the area remained inaccessible due to the inundation of mud, debris, and decomposing corpses. Ashish spent two to three days scouring the Betrawati and Trishuli banks, while he intermittently returned to the site of the demolished house but was unable to venture inside.

After eight days of fruitless search efforts, the family conceded their hope for finding Chandika. They convened at a rented abode in Sano Bharyang, Kathmandu, and commenced symbolic funeral rites and cremation preparations without her remains. The entire family deliberated, and they ultimately decided to proceed with the funeral ceremonies.

Ashish expressed lingering concern about the possibility that Chandika might have ascended to the upper floor and consumed whatever provisions she encountered. The funeral rites were already in progress when they received news of Chandika's survival. Betrawati remains one of the most severely impacted locales along the Trishuli corridor.

Local authorities stated that merely five of the approximately 300 residences remained standing post-flood. In Rasuwa, Luhaitao was rescued around noon by a combined force of Nepal army personnel and South Korean specialists and transported to Birendra Military Hospital, where representatives of the Chinese embassy subsequently inquired about his health status.

Videos from the site depicted rescuers striving to ascertain his identity following his extrication. When queried about his nationality, he remained noncommittal; when inquired about his Chinese citizenship, he seemed to affirmatively respond. Rescuer operations persisted at Upper Trishuli-1 subsequent to his rescue.