Survivor’s rescue at Nepal hydropower plant raises hope for nine missing Koreans

A Chinese worker rescued from a tunnel in Nepal has given fresh hope that nine Koreans missing after devastating floods may still be alive. Lu Haitao was pulled from the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower plant site on Saturday, about 225 meters inside the tunnel.

Nepali soldiers and members of the Korean Disaster Relief Team reached Lu at 1:15 p.m. He had taken refuge in the upper part of the tunnel. The rescuers lowered him to the ground, transferred him to a safety agent at the midpoint, and helped him leave the tunnel.

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

Lu told his Korean and Nepali rescuers that another person had been nearby. He also reportedly said he repeatedly shouted whenever he saw the lights of rescue crews. “When they rescued me today, when they shone [the light] before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Lu was taken to a hospital by military helicopter and remained in stable condition. Because he came from the same tunnel where the missing Koreans were known to be working, the rescue has encouraged further searches. The Korean Foreign Ministry said 10 KDRT members would search tunnels near the plant’s weir, while three others would use drones to search the powerhouse. The team also donated 262 body bags at a Nepali military base in Batar. China’s ambassador to Seoul, Dai Bing, thanked the Korean and Nepali rescue teams, writing that “one Chinese national was safely rescued by a joint Korean and Nepali rescue team.”

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One Chinese national was safely rescued by a joint Korean and Nepali rescue team.