Nepal flood survivor's family in China relieved after days of waiting
Summary
Lu Haitao’s family in China was relieved after he was rescued from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal 10 days after devastating floods. He was carried out from a 225-meter tunnel and taken by helicopter to a hospital in stable condition. The Aug. 26 floods, likely caused by a glacier collapse, killed more than 1,300 people and left nearly 4,900 missing in Nepal, while China reported 31 deaths and 531 missing on the Tibet side.
Key Facts
- Lu was rescued from a 225-meter hydropower tunnel and evacuated by helicopter on Saturday, 10 days after the floods.
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said he was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition.
- Nepal’s disaster management agency said the Aug. 26 floods were likely caused by a glacier collapse and nearly 4,900 people remained missing.
- Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported 31 deaths and 531 missing on the Tibet side of the border.
- Lu’s sister said he was a 49-year-old farmer from Henan province who had gone to Nepal for work in February, his first time working overseas.
> In this photo provided by the Nepal Army, a Chinese national is seen after being rescued by soldiers during an ongoing operation at the Trishuli-3A hydropower project in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Sept. 5. AP-Yonhap
HONG KONG — After days of waiting anxiously, Lu Haitao's family could finally breathe a sigh of relief when the Chinese man was rescued from a tunnel in Nepal where devastating floods killed more than 1,300 people.
Rescuers carried out Lu from a 225-meter (740-foot) hydropower tunnel and evacuated him by helicopter Saturday, 10 days after the floods. He was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The Aug. 26 floods were likely caused by a glacier collapse and nearly 4,900 remain missing, according to Nepal’s disaster management agency. On the Tibet side of the border, 31 people died and 531 were missing, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported Friday.
Lu recalled climbing to the highest point inside the tunnel and thinking the whistles he heard from the rescue crews were in his imagination, according to audio shared by CCTV. He told a Chinese embassy staffer that the emergency personnel initially could not hear him when he shouted toward their lights.
“When they shone before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “When they shone before my eyes, I no longer shouted. I had lost hope.”
Members of the Nepal Army search and rescue team carry a survivor they rescued alive after he had been trapped inside a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project following devastating floods and mudslides that struck the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, Nepal, Sept. 4. Reuters-Yonhap
Lu Hairong, Lu’s sister in China, told state media Red Star News that she received a call about the rescue before the news emerged. But she only found it believable after seeing him in a picture in the news.
Her 49-year-old brother, who is married with a son, was previously a farmer from Henan province in central China and took additional work, mainly carpentry, during his spare time. He headed to Nepal for work with a fellow villager in February, his first time working overseas, she told Red Star News.
She told Cover News, another Chinese state media outlet, that Lu had not shared his exact working location and she could only watch the news sent by others in a mutual aid group for families of the missing, unable to eat or sleep well.
“It’s a stroke of sheer luck amid the misfortune,” she said of the rescue.
Lu’s cousin, Lu Haiqing, said her mind went blank after learning he was missing on the sixth day after the floods. She then searched for Nepal news every day and used artificial intelligence to translate Nepali to Chinese. She wept every day on her way to work, Chinese news portal Jiupai News reported.
On Saturday, Lu's cousin received a picture from his sister asking her to help confirm his identity. The man looked very similar but she needed to call another relative to help confirm, the report said.
“This day has finally come,” she was quoted as saying. “There is hope when one doesn't give up.”
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