A 49-year-old Chinese worker named Lu Haitao was rescued from a flooded hydropower tunnel in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on September 5, 2026. The rescue occurred ten days after massive floods, triggered by a glacier collapse, swept through the region on August 26. Nepal's disaster management agency reports that the floods claimed over 1,300 lives and left nearly 4,900 people missing, marking a significant humanitarian crisis in the South Asian nation.
The Rescue Operation
Emergency crews recovered Lu from inside a 225-meter hydropower tunnel. Lu stated in audio shared by Chinese state media that he survived by climbing to the highest point within the structure. He described hearing whistles from rescue teams during his confinement but initially assumed they were a hallucination. When searchers finally illuminated his location with lights, he found it difficult to believe he had been found.
Lu is currently in stable condition at a hospital. The Nepal Army provided photos of the operation, showing personnel during the evacuation process. Rescuers were forced to contend with difficult terrain to reach those trapped in the tunnels, which were constructed as part of regional infrastructure development. The incident has drawn attention to the risks faced by laborers working on massive construction projects in mountainous regions prone to climate-related instability.
Family Relief and Broader Context
Lu’s family in China spent ten days in state of panic. His sister, Lu Hairong, confirmed she only accepted the news of his survival after seeing his photograph in media reports. Lu had moved to Nepal in February for work, marking his first time taking a job outside China. Relatives described their period of uncertainty, during which they translated local news reports to track any information about the missing workers. They relied on mutual aid groups to exchange updates while waiting for official confirmation.
Across the border in Tibet, the scale of the disaster remains severe. Official reports indicate 43 deaths and 519 people missing in that area, including 261 foreign nationals. The region is currently covered in rock and gravel debris from the disaster. Workers and rescuers continue to use heavy equipment at the Gyirong border facility to search for individuals still unaccounted for. Observers have noted that while search operations proceed, the event underscores the intersection of regional infrastructure projects and increasing geological vulnerability due to shifting environmental conditions.