A Chinese worker was rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal after 10 days trapped by flash floods. He survived in darkness and cold, was found on September 5, and is now stable in a Kathmandu hospital.
Tags:A Chinese worker has been rescued alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal after spending around 10 days trapped underground following severe flooding in the Himalayan region.
The survivor, identified as 49-year-old Lu Haitao from China’s Henan province, was found inside a tunnel connected to the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
The area was hit by a powerful flood on August 26, 2026, after a large volume of water, ice, rock and debris swept through valleys near the Nepal-Tibet border. The disaster damaged roads, bridges, homes and several hydropower facilities, while leaving thousands of people missing or displaced.
Lu had been working at the hydropower project when the flooding struck.
As water and debris entered the area, he became trapped inside the tunnel and was unable to escape.
According to accounts released after his rescue, Lu moved to a higher section of the tunnel in an effort to stay above the rising water.
For days, he remained alone underground with no clear information about rescue efforts outside.
At one stage, he reportedly heard whistles coming from rescuers searching the tunnel. After spending so long in darkness and isolation, he initially questioned whether the sounds were real.
Later, he noticed lights from rescue teams deeper inside the tunnel and tried to attract their attention.
His attempts were not immediately successful, and he later said that he had begun to lose hope of being found.
The breakthrough came on September 5, when rescue teams managed to reach approximately 225 metres inside the damaged tunnel.
There they discovered Lu alive.
He was exhausted and covered in mud and dust, but rescuers said he appeared to have avoided serious physical injuries.
Medical checks indicated that his condition was stable, although he was suffering from mild hypothermia after spending so many days in the cold and damp environment.
Lu was removed from the tunnel and later transported by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu for further medical treatment and observation.
His rescue was particularly emotional for his family in China.
Lu had travelled to Nepal earlier in 2026 for work, reportedly his first time working overseas.
His relatives did not initially know the exact location of his workplace and only learned several days after the disaster that he had gone missing.
Family members then began closely following reports from Nepal while trying to obtain more information about the rescue operation.
When news emerged that a Chinese national had been found alive, Lu’s relatives reportedly compared photographs of the rescued worker before confirming that it was him.
His survival became one of the most remarkable stories to emerge from the disaster.
Lu was not the only worker found alive inside the region’s hydropower tunnels.
Two Nepalese workers were also rescued from another tunnel after surviving underground for several days.
The successful rescues raised hopes that other missing workers may have survived in elevated sections or air pockets inside damaged tunnels.
Nepalese authorities, supported by international rescue teams, have continued search operations across the affected region.
The flooding has caused widespread destruction, with large numbers of casualties and missing persons reported across northern Nepal.
Rescue teams from Nepal and several other countries have been involved in tunnel searches, evacuation efforts and recovery operations.
Lu’s case has drawn particular attention because of the length of time he survived underground.
After approximately 10 days trapped inside the tunnel, exposed to darkness, cold and uncertainty, he was eventually found alive and brought to safety.
His rescue has become a rare positive development amid one of Nepal’s most serious recent natural disasters.
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