Rescuers in Nepal pull two people alive from debris 10 days after devastating floods

A Chinese worker trapped in a hydropower tunnel and a woman buried in a damaged house were pulled alive from Nepal’s flood disaster on Saturday, 10 days after devastating floods and mudslides hit the country. The rescues came as teams continued searching for thousands of missing people.

Nepal’s prime minister’s office said the man was rescued from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project. Nepalese military personnel and South Korean disaster experts brought him out of a 225-meter tunnel. He was evacuated by helicopter for a health assessment and later taken to a hospital in stable condition.

The rescue brought to three the number of workers found alive at the Trishuli project. Two Nepalese workers had been rescued the previous day. CCTV broadcast audio of the Chinese man speaking with an officer after his rescue. He said he repeatedly shouted when he saw the lights of rescue crews, but they could not hear him. “When they rescued me today, when they shone the light before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Rescue teams have increasingly concentrated on 12 hydropower projects around Nepal. Authorities said about 900 workers were missing and roughly 500 were believed trapped in tunnels. Specialized teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States searched through debris, damaged buildings and tunnels for survivors.

In the flood-hit town of Nuwakot, Nepal’s army spokesperson said a woman was rescued alive from a house and airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Army images showed rescuers finding her covered in mud, giving her bottled water and carrying her out wrapped in a gray blanket. At least 1,300 people died in the Aug. 26 floods, while more than 5,000 remained missing, according to Nepal’s disaster management agency. The floods were likely caused by a glacier collapse.

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When they rescued me today, when they shone the light before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it.