Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after flash flood


Members of the Nepal Army search and rescue team carry a Chinese national after he was rescued alive from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project following devastating floods and mudslides, in Rasuwa, Nepal, September 5, 2026. Nepal Army/Handout via REUTERS

KATHMANDU, Sept 5 (Reuters) - ⁠A Chinese national was pulled alive from ⁠a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, ‌authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more ​than 1,300 people and leaving ⁠over 5,600 missing.

The Nepali ⁠army said the person, named only as Luhaitao, ⁠was ‌rescued from inside a 225-metre (246-yard) tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.

On ⁠Friday, rescue workers pulled two people from ​another tunnel ‌at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station ⁠on the ​same river.

Rescue workers have said they believe the August 26 collapse of a glacier on the ⁠upper reaches of the river ​trapped at least 900 people in tunnels related to six hydropower projects.

Footage shared by the Nepali ⁠army showed Luhaitao being given emergency medical attention inside a helicopter, which took him to an army hospital.

He appeared exhausted and disoriented, with ​dried mud and dust on ⁠his skin and clothing. A uniformed medic ​with a stethoscope was seen ‌checking his vitals.

(Reporting by Sahana ​Bajracharya and Navesh Chitrakar; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, William Mallard and Sharon Singleton)

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