Chinese national rescued alive from hydropower tunnel after 10 days, Nepali army says
Chinese National Rescued Alive After 10 Days in Nepal
Bharatmorningnews.com – A Chinese national rescued alive from a sealed hydropower tunnel marked a grim milestone in Nepal's ongoing flood response. Ten days after glacier-fed waters devastated the country's river valleys, Nepali army officials confirmed on Saturday that the worker was pulled from a 225-meter passage at the Trishuli project, still breathing. Hours later, a second survivor — a Nepali woman trapped beneath a collapsed structure in Nuwakot — was also extracted alive, giving relief to families and responders alike amid one of the deadliest disasters in the nation's recent memory.
Inside the Tunnel Operation
Floodwater and rubble had sealed every exit from the Trishuli tunnel, leaving the worker isolated in darkness. A combined team of Nepalese soldiers and South Korean search-and-rescue specialists navigated the confined, debris-choked passage to reach him. Once freed, he was loaded onto a helicopter with an army medic aboard to monitor his vitals during the flight to a hospital for full evaluation. Footage later aired by CCTV showed two rescuers hauling him bodily from the tunnel mouth, a stark reminder of how physically demanding underground extractions remain.
His survival brought the tally of workers pulled alive from the Trishuli site to three. Two Nepalese laborers had been recovered from a separate tunnel at the Trishuli 3A plant the previous day, Friday. The prime minister's office relayed the confirmation through a social-media post, a channel that has effectively replaced conventional news wires across the affected districts where cellular and broadcast infrastructure remains down.
A Second Survivor in Nuwakot
In a parallel operation that same day, the army announced that a woman was freed from a house in the flood-ravaged town of Nuwakot. Military-issued photographs showed rescuers dragging her from the wreckage, wrapped in a gray thermal blanket. Officials said she was being airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Her survival, like that of the tunnel worker, underscores how unpredictable pockets of air and structural integrity can endure even after days of complete inundation.
Scope of the August 26 Disaster
Nepal's disaster management agency has confirmed at least 1,300 deaths and more than 5,000 missing persons linked to the floods that struck on August 26. The event is widely attributed to a glacier collapse — a sudden, catastrophic release of meltwater and ice that cascaded down river valleys, sweeping away towns, bridges, and critical infrastructure. The speed and sheer volume of such a release afford downstream communities almost no warning, a factor that has compounded both the death toll and the number of people still unaccounted for.
Among the missing are roughly 900 workers employed across 12 hydropower projects in the affected regions. Authorities estimate that approximately 500 of those workers remain trapped inside various tunnels, sealed by collapsed access points, submerged passages, or debris-laden shafts. Because Nepal's hydropower tunnels are bored through soft sedimentary rock in steep valleys, post-flood access often demands specialized drilling, dewatering, and structural-stability assessments before any rescue attempt can proceed safely.
Why Ten Days of Survival Is Extraordinary
Survival beyond the first 72 hours in a collapsed underground environment is statistically rare. That the Chinese national rescued alive after ten full days suggests he occupied a tunnel section where some degree of air circulation persisted — perhaps aided by the passage's own ventilation geometry or by residual air pockets above the flood line. The South Korean specialists brought into the operation carry experience from prolonged urban search-and-rescue scenarios, and their deployment reflects the international recognition that Nepal's domestic capacity, though heroic, is stretched thin when dozens of sites require simultaneous attention.
The episode also sharpens a long-standing debate over Nepal's energy sector. The country has invested heavily in hydropower as its principal export commodity and domestic electricity source, with dozens of projects at various construction stages. A single flood event that simultaneously endangers laborers at a dozen sites exposes the vulnerability of concentrating workers in narrow, subterranean workspaces during monsoon season. Industry observers have long urged seasonal work stoppages and upgraded tunnel-ventilation standards; the August 26 disaster has made those arguments impossible to dismiss.
Rescue and recovery operations continue across multiple districts. Military helicopters shuttle survivors to Kathmandu hospitals while ground teams work around the clock to clear debris, assess structural stability, and reach remaining trapped workers. Officials cautioned that conditions remain volatile and that further casualties are possible as monsoon rains persist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long was the Chinese worker trapped before being rescued? He was trapped for approximately ten days inside the 225-meter tunnel at the Trishuli hydropower project before Nepali military and South Korean rescue specialists extracted him alive.
What caused the floods in Nepal? The disaster is widely attributed to a glacier collapse on August 26, which released a massive volume of meltwater and ice that cascaded down river valleys, overwhelming downstream towns and infrastructure.
How many people are confirmed dead or missing? Nepal's disaster management agency has confirmed at least 1,300 deaths, with more than 5,000 people still missing as of the latest official count.
How many hydropower workers are still unaccounted for? Roughly 900 workers across 12 hydropower projects remain missing, with an estimated 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels sealed by collapsed access points or submerged passages.
Where was the rescued woman taken for medical care? She was airlifted by helicopter to Kathmandu for treatment after being freed from a collapsed house in the town of Nuwakot.