Nepal Rescues Chinese Worker Lu Haitao After 10 Days in Hydropower Tunnel as Death Toll Tops 1,375
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 5
Nepal Rescues Chinese Worker Lu Haitao After 10 Days in Hydropower Tunnel as Death Toll Tops 1,375
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 5
Summary
Lu Haitao, 49, was pulled alive from the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower tunnel after 10 days trapped by flash-flood debris, with South Korean rescuers assisting the Nepali Army.
Rescuers found him about 225 meters inside the tunnel after using satellite imagery, plant drawings and topographic data to search mud-buried hydropower sites along the Trishuli River.
Three tunnel workers have now been found alive in two days, but hundreds remain unaccounted for at hydropower projects, and Nepal's power utility has asked relatives for DNA samples to identify recovered remains.
At least 1,375 people have died across Nepal and Tibet and more than 5,000 are still missing after the August 26 floods, which also damaged 7,500 homes, roads, bridges and 13 hydropower projects.
The disaster has left more than 84,000 people needing aid, and the UN is seeking $49.6 million as damaged roads and bridges slow access to shelter, food and healthcare.
How did a worker survive 11 days trapped in a flooded Himalayan tunnel, and could hundreds more still be alive underground?
Does this miraculous rescue in Nepal mask a deadly reality about building vulnerable hydropower dams in avalanche-prone mountain environments?
With 500 workers still trapped, can drones and thermal cameras beat the clock against the Himalayas' deadly mud and rock blockades?
Nepal-China Border Glacial Flood 2026: Over 1,800 Dead, 4,700 Missing, and a Global Climate Compensation Showdown
Overview
On August 26, 2026, a massive rock and ice collapse near Nepal’s Langtang Lirung peak triggered a deadly chain reaction. The avalanche dammed a river, then unleashed a catastrophic flood of mud and debris that swept through Nepal and Tibet, destroying bridges, blocking highways, and isolating remote communities. With rescue teams forced to dig by hand, thousands were killed or went missing. The disaster was made worse by global warming, which destabilized mountain slopes, and by the loss of early warning systems after U.S. aid cuts. As Nepal faced billions in damages and disease outbreaks, it demanded climate compensation from major polluters, reframing the global loss and damage debate.