Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after flash flood

A Chinese national, Lu Haitao, was rescued from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, 10 days after a massive flood from an ice, rock, and mud wall destroyed a Himalayan valley, claiming over 1,300 lives. The Nepali army announced that Lu was pulled alive from a 225-meter tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project. This was the third person to be rescued from various tunnels, with authorities estimating that 900 people might be trapped after the glacier collapse on August 26.

Lu showed no visible injuries and his vital signs were stable, though he displayed signs of mild hypothermia. The authorities treated him for exhaustion and disorientation, with dried mud and dust clinging to his skin and clothing. A medic checked Lu inside a helicopter, which transported him to an army hospital. Despite appearing exhausted, Lu was found to have no life-threatening injuries.

The floods affected at least 1,344 people in Nepal, with 4,887 still listed as missing, including 583 foreign nationals, many of whom are believed to be pilgrims and trekkers. In Tibet, China reported 31 deaths and 531 missing, including foreign nationals, with 261 still unaccounted for.

Another woman, Chandika Kumari Shrestha, was rescued from her home in Betrawati on Saturday. She was found caked in mud inside a flooded underground structure, where rescuers worked in a space filled with thick sludge. Images shared by authorities depicted her being offered water while rescuers cleared the debris.

In Nepal, families in the Maithili Barrack district in the Nuwakot district displayed posters of loved ones believed to be trapped in the tunnels, a grim testament to the ongoing crisis.