A Chinese national has been found alive inside a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, 10 days after catastrophic flooding, according to the Nepali Army.
The man was rescued from a 738ft tunnel and taken for a medical assessment, the army said.
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He was flown out by helicopter, with an army medic monitoring him throughout the journey.
Authorities estimate that about 900 workers remain missing from 12 hydropower projects across Nepal. Roughly 500 are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
The rescue followed the discovery yesterday of two other hydropower workers who survived after being buried inside a debris-filled tunnel in Nepal.
One of the men pressed his hands together in prayer as rescuers brought him away on a stretcher
Chinese state media reported yesterday that 31 people had died in Tibet and 541 remained missing. The figures brought the overall toll from the 26 August glacial and mountain collapse to 1,318 dead and 5,624 missing.
In footage released by the energy ministry, rescuers could be heard cheering as one of the men emerged through a muddy opening during yesterday’s operation.
Rescuers helped him stand before carrying him on their backs. He raised one hand as emergency workers escorted him towards a waiting helicopter.
Nepali rescue teams, supported by specialists from India, China and South Korea, have continued scouring hydropower tunnels for survivors. Their efforts have repeatedly been slowed by dense, compacted debris blocking the passages.
A helicopter prepares to carry materials for rescue efforts at the army barracks at Dunche in Rasuwa district in Nepal yesterday
Until yesterday, there had been no confirmed reports of any tunnel workers being found alive.
Separately, rescuers recovered a woman alive from a house in Nuwakot town, 10 days after flooding struck the area, a Nepal army spokesperson said.
She was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.
Additional reporting by PA
