Chinese national rescued from flood-hit hydropower project tunnel in Nepal

Kathmandu, Sep 5 (PTI) A Chinese national was rescued on Saturday from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal’s flood-hit Rasuwa district, 11 days after the project was hit by devastating floods.

The man, identified as Luhaitao, was trapped inside Audit Tunnel 4 of the flood-affected Upper Trishuli 1 Hydropower Project.

“A joint rescue team comprising the Nepali Army and foreign rescuers has rescued a Chinese national, Luhaitao, alive from inside a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project,” the Nepali Army said following the rescue on Saturday.

“Luhaitao was rescued from a point approximately 225 meters inside the tunnel. His health is currently being assessed, while search and rescue operations are continuing.” Luhaitao was rescued at 1.30 pm on Saturday

from the site in Nuwakot district.

The latest rescue brings the total to three workers pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project. Two Nepalese workers were rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant on Friday.

They were identified as Kabir Maharjan, 45, and Sanjay Sah, 30.

Maharjan was working as a mechanical supervisor on the project, while Sah was a foreman, according to the Public Relations Directorate of the Nepal Army.

The Nepal Army-led security command has been engaged in the search and rescue operation using specialised equipment.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, killing more than 1,300, while around 4,900 remain missing.

The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.

At least 900 workers are missing from a dozen hydropower projects in Nepal, with about 500 believed to be inside tunnels, officials said. PTI SBP AMS