Abroad
Chinese man rescued from tunnel in Nepal 10 days after flash floods
At least 1,300 people were killed in the flash floods and more than 5,000 remain missing.
September 06, 2026, 12:29 PM
Photo via Nepali Army/Facebook
Nepal's army said a joint rescue team comprising its personnel and South Korean disaster experts rescued a Chinese man from a 225-meter hydropower tunnel on Sep. 5.
A video shared on X by Nepal's prime minister shows the man being evacuated by a helicopter and later being attended to by an army medic.
According to AP News, the man being carried out of the tunnel is a farmer named Lu Haitao.
In audio shared by Chinese state media CCTV, Lu could be heard telling an officer that he repeatedly shouted whenever he saw the rescue crews' lights, but they could not hear him.
Lu added that he could not believe it when the rescuers eventually shone the light on him.
Lu's sister told Chinese media that her brother was a farmer from Henan province in central China before heading to Nepal in February 2026 with another villager.
She added that she was thrilled to see her brother's photo on the news, describing his rescue as a fortunate turn of events amid the tragedy.
Rescuers also pulled a 64-year-old woman from her home on Sep. 5 in Nuwakot district.
Local authorities said that rescue efforts have focused on 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, with about 900 workers missing and about 500 believed to be trapped in various tunnels.
Specialised teams from India, China, South Korea and the U.S. have been searching through debris in hopes of finding survivors.
Devastating floods
On Aug. 26, flash floods and mudslides swept through mountainous areas along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The deluge, which consisted of mud and rocks, swept through the Lhende Khola river valley.
At least 19 bridges and about 40km of roads were washed away, along with homes and other critical infrastructure.
There was no warning, as it was not raining at the time.
Security camera footage from the Nepal-China border area showed a massive wall of water and debris rushing through the area, with people seen running to escape the surge.
Another video circulating online showed passengers inside a bus as floodwaters swept through the surrounding areas.
According to CNN, the US Geological Survey initially reported shaking in the region as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake along the Nepal-China border, north of Kathmandu.
At around the same time, what was described as an "avalanche" of ice and rock tore down a mountainside and into the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, which flows from China into Nepal through deep gorges.
While the cause of the Nepal flood wave remains to be determined, a team of international scientists believes a huge chunk of glacier sheared off and fell into the valley below.
In an official situation update posted on Nepal Tourism Board’s website on Aug. 27, the board said a preliminary agency-wise record received from trekking and travel companies had identified 644 travellers reported missing from affected areas.
Nine of those reported missing are Singaporeans.
"The information is being verified and cross-checked with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies," the board said.
Local authorities are also working to verify the whereabouts and safety of the missing tourists, it added.
According to Nepal's disaster management agency, at least 1,300 people were killed in the flash floods, and more than 5,000 remain missing.
