Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after flash flood

KATHMANDU, Sept 5 — A Chinese national was pulled alive ​from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a ‌wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a ⁠Himalayan valley, killing more ​than 1,300 people ⁠and leaving over 5,600 missing.

The Nepali army ‌said the person, ‌named only as Luhaitao, was rescued from ⁠inside a 225-metre (246-yard) ⁠tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.

On Friday, rescue workers pulled two people from another tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station on the same river.

Rescue ‌workers have said they believe ​the August 26 collapse of a glacier on the upper reaches of the river trapped at least 900 people in tunnels related to six hydropower projects.

Footage shared by the Nepali army showed Luhaitao being given ​emergency medical attention inside a helicopter, ‌which took him ‌to ⁠an army hospital.

He appeared exhausted and disoriented, with dried mud and dust on his skin and clothing. A uniformed medic with a ‌stethoscope was seen ​checking his vitals.

(Reporting by ‌Sahana Bajracharya and ⁠Navesh ​Chitrakar; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, William Mallard and Sharon ​Singleton)

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