Chinese man rescued from tunnel in Nepal 10 days after flash floods

In a remarkable rescue, a Chinese man named Lu Haitao was saved from a 225-meter hydropower tunnel in Nepal, 10 days after devastating flash floods swept through the region. The joint rescue operation, involving Nepal's army and South Korean disaster experts, saw the 64-year-old farmer evacuated by helicopter and later treated by an army medic.

Lu, who had migrated to Nepal in February 2026, was rescued along with a 64-year-old woman from their homes in Nuwakot district. The rescue mission targeted 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, with approximately 900 workers missing and 500 believed to be trapped in various tunnels. The floods, which occurred on Aug. 26, devastated mountainous areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, washing away at least 19 bridges and 40km of roads.

The floods were triggered by an avalanche of ice and rock that sheared off a massive chunk of glacier, causing a surge in the Lhende Khola river. At least 19 people died in the incident, while over 5,000 remain missing. International rescue teams from India, China, South Korea, and the U.S. joined efforts to locate survivors amidst the debris.