KATHMANDU: Two survivors were pulled alive from flood-hit areas of Nepal on Saturday, reviving hopes of finding more people alive 10 days after catastrophic floods and mudslides devastated parts of the country.
A Chinese national was rescued from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district, while a 64-year-old Nepali woman was found alive inside her partially submerged home in Nuwakot.
The latest rescues came as emergency teams intensified their search for thousands of people still missing after the disaster.
Chinese hydropower worker rescued from tunnel
A joint rescue team involving the Nepal Army and foreign experts found the Chinese national 225 metres (738 feet) inside a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
The man, identified by authorities as Luhaitao, was shown in photographs with his arms around two rescuers. His hands were covered in wet mud, but he appeared alert.
The Nepal Army said his health was being assessed while rescue operations continued at the site.
Luhaitao was among hundreds of hydropower workers reported missing after a huge wall of water and mud swept across the China-Nepal border following a massive glacial and rock collapse on August 26.
64-year-old woman found alive
Later on Saturday, members of Nepal’s Armed Police Force rescued Chandrika Shrestha, 64, from her buried home in Nuwakot district.
Police said a team discovered Shrestha while clearing the affected area. She was subsequently airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment.
Footage released by the Armed Police Force showed only part of her house above the surface, with the lower levels submerged beneath thick layers of sludge.
More hydropower workers rescued
The latest rescues followed another breakthrough on Friday, when two Nepali hydropower workers were found alive inside the Trishuli 3A tunnel.
The two men were taken to a hospital in Kathmandu and were reported to be in stable condition.
At least 12 hydropower projects have been destroyed by the floods, with rescue teams continuing operations at multiple sites.
Nepal Flood Death Toll Rises to 750 as Fifth Day of Rescue Efforts Begins
Nepal death toll reaches 1,344
According to Nepal’s national disaster agency, 1,344 bodies have been recovered so far, while around 5,000 people remain missing.
China has separately reported 31 deaths and 531 people missing.
The combined figures put the overall death toll at 1,375, with more than 5,500 people still missing across the two countries.
The disaster followed a massive glacial and rock collapse that triggered devastating flooding along the border region.
International teams join rescue efforts
The Nepal government initially estimated that more than 100 workers could still be alive inside several blocked tunnels.
Rescue specialists from India, China, Australia and South Korea have joined Nepali teams searching for survivors.
Drones are also being used to transport medicines, food and other essential supplies to high-altitude areas where roads have been destroyed or remain inaccessible.
Drone operator Avaya Pokharel said relief materials were being transported for hospitals in affected areas.
Thousands remain in relief camps
The scale of destruction has created major challenges for relief operations.
The United Nations has warned that the magnitude of the devastation is making aid delivery extremely difficult and has launched a $50 million appeal to assist more than 84,000 people affected by the disaster.
With morgues overwhelmed, Nepal Police said around 1,030 bodies had been buried in mass graves after DNA samples were collected to help identify victims later.
PM promises safer accommodation for displaced families
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has pledged to provide safe and comfortable accommodation for thousands of people displaced by the floods and currently living in temporary relief camps.
Acknowledging the difficult conditions faced by survivors, Shah said the government would work to restore an environment in which affected families could rebuild their lives and plan for the future.
The discovery of two more survivors has provided a fresh boost to rescue teams as searches continue across some of the worst-hit areas of Nepal.
