중국인 생존자 하이타오의 가족들 열광…“불행 속 순전히 행운”

Following the 5th day of tragedy, family members of Chinese laborer Liu Haitao, who was miraculously rescued from a tunnel at the Upper Trisuli 1 Power Plant in Nepal, expressed their amazement to the news agency AP. According to combined reports from both AP and Chinese media, Liu Haitao, a 49-year-old native of Henan Province in central China and a farmer, lost his son and was the sole survivor among nine Chinese workers who perished in the disaster.

Liu Haitao's sister, Liu Haiting, who lives in China's Henan Province, initially found it hard to believe the rescue news until she saw her brother's rescue footage on state-run Chinese media. It was only after seeing his photograph in the news that his family could believe he had been rescued. Liu Haitao had migrated to Nepal last February in search of employment alongside his village mates, and this was his first time working abroad.

He worked as a part-time carpenter, but had no experience in tunnel construction. When the disaster struck, his family was left in the dark, receiving only news from the relief organization for families of missing persons. A relative in Nepal informed them on the 6th day of Liu Haitao's disappearance. Liu Haitao was discovered on the 15th day after the disaster, at a point 225 meters inside the Upper Trisuli 1 Power Plant tunnel, conscious and capable of speaking, stabilized enough to walk.

He received emergency treatment in a helicopter and was transferred to Kathmandu Hospital. The location where his body was found was a tunnel where nine Chinese workers had fallen. He reportedly said while being rescued, "There might be one more person nearby" and garnered attention for potential Korean rescue.