Nepal Flood Rescue: Two Survivors Found Alive 10 Days After Catastrophic Deluge

POLICY WIRE — Kathmandu, Nepal — Search and rescue teams in Nepal successfully recovered a man and a woman alive on Saturday, marking a glimmer of hope 10 days after catastrophic flooding ravaged the nation.

The operations come as emergency crews continue the grueling task of searching for thousands of individuals who remain missing.

One survivor, a Chinese citizen, was extracted from a hydropower tunnel. This rescue brings the total number of workers saved from the Trishuli hydropower project to three.

Just one day prior, on Friday, two Nepalese employees were pulled to safety from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower facility.

According to the Nepalese army, the Chinese national was saved by a collaborative effort involving military personnel and disaster specialists from South Korea.

The man was located inside a tunnel measuring 225 meters, or approximately 738 feet. He was subsequently transported via helicopter for a medical evaluation, with army medics attending to him during the flight.

Visuals provided by the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV depicted rescuers carrying the man from the tunnel.

In an audio recording shared by CCTV, the survivor described shouting repeatedly whenever he spotted the lights of rescue teams, though his cries went unheard at the time.

“When they rescued me today, when they shone (the light) before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” he stated.

CCTV reported that the man is currently in stable condition at a hospital.

Authorities have shifted a significant portion of their focus toward 12 hydropower sites. Officials estimate that roughly 500 people are trapped in tunnels, with approximately 900 workers missing across these projects.

Specialized units from the United States, China, India, and South Korea are currently scouring damaged tunnels and debris in hopes of locating more survivors.

In a separate operation in the town of Nuwakot, a woman was found alive inside a residence, according to a spokesperson for the Nepalese army.

She was airlifted to Kathmandu for medical care after being discovered covered in mud within the ruins of her home.

Army footage showed rescuers providing the woman with bottled water and wrapping her in a gray blanket before moving her to safety.

Data from Nepal’s disaster management agency indicates that at least 1,300 people died following the August 26 floods, which were likely triggered by a collapsing glacier.

More than 5,000 people are still listed as missing.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)