Chinese national rescued from mudslide-hit hydropower plant in Nepal

KATHMANDU -- Nepali rescuers on Saturday rescued a Chinese national from a hydropower plant hit by the deadly mudslide in Nepal, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

The Chinese national was rescued by the Nepali Army in coordination with a disaster expert team from South Korea, 11 days after a devastating mudslide struck the area.

The survivor was taken for further medical assessment and care.

The rescue is part of an intensified effort to locate and evacuate people believed to be trapped inside hydropower project tunnels following a mudslide that swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.

The disaster caused extensive damage to several hydropower projects and other infrastructure in the affected areas. Some workers and other people are believed to have been trapped inside hydropower tunnels and have remained out of contact.

Before the rescue of the Chinese national, the Nepali Army said in a social media post that a joint rescue team comprising 20 Nepali Army personnel and project representatives had been conducting search operations.

The Nepali Army has been conducting search and rescue operations in coordination with foreign technical teams, including experts from China, India and South Korea, to reach people stranded inside structures at several hydropower projects.