Full Breakdown
Miraculous Rescues Amid Nepal’s Devastating Floods and the Ongoing Hunt for Thousands of Missing Workers
9/8/2026, 4:14:13 AM
The Flood Disaster and Recent Rescues
On August 26 a glacier on the Nepal-China border collapsed, sending a flash flood down the Trishuli River. Nepal’s disaster agency reported more than 1,300 deaths and over 5,000 missing on the Nepal side; Chinese authorities recorded 31 deaths and 531 missing in Tibet.
Four “miracle” rescues were confirmed:
- September 5 – Chinese hydropower worker Lu Haitao was pulled from a 225-metre tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 project and air-lifted to a Kathmandu hospital.
- September 6 – Chandika Kumari Shrestha, 64, was found alive in a collapsed four-storey house in Betrawati after 10 days.
- September 5–6 – Nepali foreman Sanjay Sah and supervisor Kabir Maharjan were rescued from the Trishuli 3A tunnel after nine days underground.
These were the first survivors recovered from any flooded hydropower site.
Background & Context
The Trishuli basin hosts hydro projects employing roughly 900 workers; authorities estimate about 500 remain trapped in flooded tunnels. Nepal requested external assistance; rescue teams from India, China, South Korea, the United States, Australia and others have been deployed with specialized equipment and drones.
On September 7, Nepal observed a 13-day Hindu mourning period and the United Nations launched a US$50 million appeal for the 84,000 affected people.
Official Statements & Responses
Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said the team would soon reach the Trishuli 3B tunnel through 3A and accelerate the search. Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina reiterated hopes for more rescues. President Ram Chandra Paudel toured the hardest-hit districts, and the home ministry ordered flags at half-mast.
Criticism & Opposition
Families of missing workers have voiced frustration. Sumana Chhetri Amatay questioned why the army had not prioritized tunnel rescues, fearing her husband remained alive. Her sister Reena Amatay urged the government to seek additional foreign assistance if domestic efforts fell short. Basnet later promised faster action, noting that equipment could now be brought in as the ground hardened.
On-the-Ground Reports
Police officer Mahendra Darnal described hearing a faint “Save me” from inside Shrestha’s house and spending 45 minutes to reach her. Lu Haitao recounted shouting for help until a rescue beam illuminated him, after which he “lost hope” and stopped shouting. Local volunteers organized WhatsApp groups of more than 140 family members to coordinate missing-person reports and DNA sampling.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Death tolls vary from 1,259 to 1,487 in Nepal and from 31 to 43 in Tibet.
- Missing counts differ by several hundred across agencies.
- Workers trapped ranges from 115 in a single tunnel to 121 across all tunnels, with some reports citing 557 missing from Trishuli 3A alone.
Independent verification of tunnel conditions is unavailable, and journalists remain largely barred from the Tibetan disaster zone.
What’s Next
The Nepali government continues to solicit aid, with Australia deploying a 15-person drone unit and India sending an 11-member tunnel-rescue team. The UN appeal remains open, and Nepal has formally requested climate-damage compensation from the UN fund for Least-Developed Countries. Rescue teams plan to expand excavation in the Trishuli 3B tunnel via the 3A access point, while helicopter-borne excavators are being positioned to reach deeper sections. The search is expected to extend beyond the mourning period as authorities work to locate the remaining 900+ workers believed to be trapped.
