Nepali rescuers buoyed by miracle finds as tough conditions persist

Four extraordinary rescues have given Nepal's search teams a measure of hope, even as operations continue under some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. Search efforts entered their 12th day on Sunday after a glacial and mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border killed at least 1,385 people and left more than 5,500 missing across the two countries.

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Search and rescue is going on at the tunnels despite geography, adverse weather and lack of connectivity.

Two survivors were found on Saturday, adding to two people rescued the previous day. Three of the four were discovered inside hydropower tunnels, where the government initially believed more than 100 workers might still be alive. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said teams were continuing to search despite the geography, adverse weather and lack of connectivity. He described the rescue effort as facing “multiple challenges.”

On Saturday, soldiers pulled a Chinese man alive from deep inside a hydropower tunnel. Rescuers also found 64-year-old Chandrika Shrestha alive in her mud-covered home. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said her rescue had “given hope to the entire nation.” A day earlier, two Nepali hydropower workers were rescued from the Trishuli 3A tunnel. Searches continued there and at several other sites, with at least 12 hydropower projects affected.

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You lose your home, you lose your livelihood, you lose your loved one and you lose the breadwinner of your family.

The wall of icy water and debris struck mountain districts on Aug. 26, destroying roads, bridges and other infrastructure. UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia said survivors had seen their lives transformed in “one to two minutes,” losing homes, livelihoods and family breadwinners. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal called the disaster a “Himalayan tsunami” and warned reconstruction costs could reach billions of dollars.

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given hope to the entire nation

Other accounts of courage have emerged. Rajendra Dawadi, a school principal, ordered an evacuation as the torrent approached and saved hundreds of students. “If the information was wrong, we would lose a day of schooling,” he said. “But if it was true, we were going to lose our lives.” Officials were also working to restore electricity, including through solar power in areas that remained unreachable.

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If the information was wrong, we would lose a day of schooling. But if it was true, we were going to lose our lives.