Chinese National Found Alive in Nepal Tunnel 10 Days After Deadly Floods

Two people who went missing after Nepal’s devastating August 26 floods have been rescued alive from separate locations in Trishuli, offering fresh hope for others still unaccounted for as the Nepal Army-led search operation entered its 11th day on Saturday.

A Chinese national was rescued from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project after rescue teams advanced 225 metres into the structure. In a separate operation, a woman was found alive on the fourth floor of a house in Betrabati, among the areas hardest hit by the floods.

Both survivors were airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

The latest rescues came a day after two workers, Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan, were pulled alive from the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station. The two men were found around 170 metres inside a tunnel.

Their survival has raised hopes that more workers could still be trapped alive in tunnels across Nepal’s hydropower projects. Authorities estimate that around 900 workers remain missing at various hydropower sites, including nearly 500 who are believed to be trapped underground.

At the Trishuli 3A project alone, around 115 workers are believed to remain trapped, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

A South Korean team also joined Saturday’s search operation at the Upper Trishuli hydropower project, assisting local rescuers in their efforts to locate people still missing.

India has continued its humanitarian support for Nepal following the disaster. It has supplied 68.5 tonnes of relief material and deployed doctors and paramedics, along with a technical team and specialised search-and-rescue equipment.

Earlier this week, Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah thanked India for its prompt assistance. Speaking in Parliament, Shah said around 4,000 people remained missing a week after flash floods struck Rasuwa district.

The discovery of four survivors over two consecutive days has renewed hopes that rescue teams may still find more people alive as the search continues across flooded areas and hydropower tunnels.