Woman, Chinese worker rescued alive 10 days after deadly Nepal floods

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 07, 2026

Rescuers in Nepal have found two people alive 10 days after devastating flash floods buried communities and hydropower facilities under thick mud and debris.

Among those rescued was 64-year-old Chandrika Shrestha, who was found alive inside her flood-damaged home in Betrawati, Nuwakot district, on September 5.

Shrestha’s family had reportedly already begun mourning her, believing she had died in the disaster. But while security personnel were clearing debris around the house, they heard her voice coming from inside.

Much of the four-story home had been buried in thick mud and debris. Rescuers were able to reach Shrestha and pull her out alive before she was airlifted for medical treatment.

In a separate rescue, Chinese national Lu Haitao was pulled alive from a 225-meter tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project after being trapped for 10 days.

Two Nepali workers were also rescued alive from the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel on September 4, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Search and rescue operations remain underway at several affected hydropower projects, where authorities are deploying additional equipment, personnel and drones to search tunnels and other difficult-to-reach areas.

The catastrophic flooding struck on August 26 after a collapse involving ice and rock in the Himalayan region sent a massive surge of water, mud and debris downstream.

As of September 6, Nepalese authorities said 1,341 bodies had been recovered, around 5,000 people remained missing, and 13,104 people had been rescued, including more than 300 foreign nationals. Officials cautioned that the figures could continue to change as search and verification efforts continue.

Despite the scale of the disaster, the latest rescues have renewed hope that more survivors could still be found as operations continue in flood-hit communities and tunnels.