Nepal Floods: Two More Survivors Rescued Alive From Hydropower Tunnel, Damaged Home

Two more survivors have been pulled alive from the devastation caused by Nepal’s catastrophic floods, offering rare moments of hope as rescue teams continue searching through buried homes and hydropower tunnels.

A Chinese national, identified in reports as Luhaitao, was rescued from a tunnel connected to a hydropower project in the Trishuli region. Nepalese military personnel, assisted by South Korean disaster-response specialists, carried out the difficult operation. The survivor was pulled to safety and airlifted by helicopter for medical treatment.

In another rescue, 64-year-old Chandika Shrestha was found alive inside a damaged house in Nuwakot. Emergency workers carried her out wrapped in a blanket before she was flown to Kathmandu for further treatment.

Hydropower workers rescued after nine days

The latest rescues came a day after two Nepali hydropower workers, Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharjan, were dramatically pulled from a mud-filled tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower project. The mechanical foreman and supervisor had reportedly been trapped for around nine days following the disaster.

Rescuers discovered signs of life after hearing voices underground. Using specialised digging techniques, satellite imagery and engineering assistance, teams gradually cleared the debris and reached the trapped workers. Both were airlifted to Kathmandu, with one reportedly in critical condition. A body was also recovered from the site, while several other people are still feared trapped in nearby tunnels.

Floods devastated Himalayan valleys

The devastating floods and debris flows struck Nepal on August 26 after a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border unleashed torrents of water, mud, rocks and ice through Himalayan valleys. The disaster devastated communities along the Trishuli River, destroying homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

With thousands still reported missing and rescue teams continuing to search collapsed structures and buried tunnels, the discovery of survivors has renewed hopes that others may still be found alive beneath the debris.