Chinese Worker Rescued After 11 Days in Nepal Tunnel as Flood Death Toll Tops 1,300
Updated
Updated · India Today · Sep 5
Chinese Worker Rescued After 11 Days in Nepal Tunnel as Flood Death Toll Tops 1,300
3 articles · Updated · India Today · Sep 5
Summary
Luhaitao was pulled out alive at 1:30 p.m. Saturday from Audit Tunnel 4 at the Upper Trishuli 1 Hydropower Project in Nuwakot, 11 days after floods trapped him.
Nepali Army said joint rescuers found him about 225 meters inside the tunnel and were assessing his condition while continuing searches at the site.
Three workers have now been rescued alive from Trishuli hydropower projects after two Nepali workers were extracted Friday from the Trishuli 3A plant.
An Aug. 26 ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border triggered the flash floods, which have killed more than 1,300 people and left about 4,900 missing across Nepal.
At least 900 workers are still missing from a dozen hydropower projects, with about 500 believed to be inside tunnels, underscoring the scale of the ongoing rescue effort.
How did a worker survive 11 days trapped in a flooded Himalayan tunnel, and could hundreds more still be alive underground?
Does this miraculous rescue in Nepal mask a deadly reality about building vulnerable hydropower dams in avalanche-prone mountain environments?
With 500 workers still trapped, can drones and thermal cameras beat the clock against the Himalayas' deadly mud and rock blockades?
Nepal-China Border Glacial Flood 2026: Over 1,800 Dead, 4,700 Missing, and a Global Climate Compensation Showdown
Overview
On August 26, 2026, a massive rock and ice collapse near Nepal’s Langtang Lirung peak triggered a deadly chain reaction. The avalanche dammed a river, then unleashed a catastrophic flood of mud and debris that swept through Nepal and Tibet, destroying bridges, blocking highways, and isolating remote communities. With rescue teams forced to dig by hand, thousands were killed or went missing. The disaster was made worse by global warming, which destabilized mountain slopes, and by the loss of early warning systems after U.S. aid cuts. As Nepal faced billions in damages and disease outbreaks, it demanded climate compensation from major polluters, reframing the global loss and damage debate.