Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Chinese National, Woman Rescued Ten Days After Nepal Floods
A powerful flood struck parts of Nepal on August 26 after ice, rock, mud or a glacier collapse affected a Himalayan river valley.
The disaster damaged homes, roads, bridges and hydropower projects.
About 10 or 11 days later, rescuers found a Chinese worker named Luhaitao alive inside a long hydropower tunnel.
He was found about 225 metres inside and was taken for medical checks.
Rescuers also saved a 64-year-old woman named Chandika Shrestha from a damaged house.
Both survivors were taken toward Kathmandu by helicopter for treatment.
Two Nepali workers had been rescued from another Trishuli hydropower tunnel the day before.
Officials said many workers were still missing, so rescue teams continued searching.
Rescuers pulled Chinese national Luhaitao alive from a tunnel at Nepal’s Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
He was found approximately 225 metres inside the tunnel on Saturday, 10 or 11 days after the August 26 disaster.
A 64-year-old woman, identified as Chandika Shrestha, was rescued from a damaged house in Nuwakot.
Both survivors were airlifted or prepared for airlift to Kathmandu for medical treatment and assessment.
Officials said about 900 hydropower workers remained missing, including roughly 500 believed trapped in tunnels.
- Who
- Nepali Army-led rescue teams, assisted by foreign rescuers in some reports, rescued Luhaitao and Chandika Shrestha; two Nepali workers had been rescued earlier.
- What
- A Chinese worker was rescued from a hydropower tunnel and a woman from a damaged house after deadly floods.
- When
- Saturday, reported as 10 or 11 days after the August 26 disaster; two Nepali workers were rescued on Friday.
- Where
- Luhaitao was reported rescued from the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district, while Shrestha was rescued in Nuwakot. One photo caption associated the Chinese survivor with the Trishuli-3A project.
- Why
- Rescuers were searching for people trapped or missing after flash floods linked in reports to a glacier collapse or an ice-rock avalanche.
- Disaster date
- August 26
- Chinese survivor
- Luhaitao, rescued approximately 225 metres inside a hydropower tunnel
- Chinese survivor’s reported location
- Most reports identified Audit Tunnel 4 at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project; one photo caption referred to the Trishuli-3A project
- Woman rescued
- Chandika Shrestha, 64, rescued from a damaged house in Nuwakot; reports said she was found on or near the fourth floor
- Earlier rescues
- Kabir Maharjan and Sanjay Sah were rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Station on Friday
- Missing hydropower workers
- About 900 workers were reported missing across 12 hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed trapped in tunnels
- Reported disaster toll
- More than 1,300 people were killed; estimates of those still missing ranged from about 4,900 to more than 5,600
Sources
10 Days On, Nepal Rescuers Find Chinese National, Woman Alive
Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after flash flood
Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after deadly floods
Woman, Chinese National Rescued From Nepal Tunnel a Day After 2 Nepalis Pulled Out Alive
Chinese national rescued from flood-hit hydropower tunnel in Nepal - Telegraph India