Rescuers pulled 64-year-old Chandrika Shrestha alive from the ruins of her home in Nuwakot, 10 days after devastating floods hit Nepal.
WEB DESK: A 64-year-old woman has been rescued alive in Nepal after spending 10 days buried beneath debris following devastating floods and mudslides that swept through parts of the country.
Chandrika Shrestha was pulled from the remains of a four-storey house in the Betravati area of Nuwakot district after rescuers heard her voice beneath the rubble.
Woman found alive under collapsed home
Rescue teams located Shrestha after hearing sounds coming from inside the debris.
Personnel then cleared a path through the rubble and managed to bring her out alive.
She was subsequently transported by helicopter for medical treatment in Kathmandu.
The rescue has offered a rare moment of hope as teams continue searching for thousands of people still missing following the disaster.
Devastating floods hit Nepal
The floods struck on August 26 after a glacier collapse triggered a massive surge of water and debris through communities in the Himalayan region.
The disaster caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal, damaging homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
More than 1,300 people have been reported dead in Nepal, while thousands remain unaccounted for.
More survivors found after days underground
Shrestha’s rescue came on the same day that a Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district.
The man, identified as Lu Haitao, had reportedly remained trapped inside the tunnel for about 10 days.
He was rescued from approximately 225 metres inside the tunnel and later airlifted for medical treatment. Reuters reported that he was in stable condition after the rescue.
Two Nepali hydropower workers were also rescued alive from the Upper Trishuli 3A tunnel a day earlier after being trapped underground for several days.
Rescue efforts continue
The latest rescues have renewed hopes for people who remain trapped or isolated in areas devastated by the floods.
Rescue operations are continuing across several hydropower projects and communities where access remains difficult because of massive amounts of mud and debris.
International teams from countries including India, China and South Korea are assisting Nepali authorities in the search.
At several hydropower sites, hundreds of workers remain unaccounted for, with some believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
A rare moment of hope
The survival of Shrestha after 10 days under the rubble has provided a powerful moment of hope amid the enormous scale of the disaster.
Officials and rescue teams are continuing to search damaged homes, tunnels and other locations where people could still be alive.
However, authorities have warned that the difficult terrain and extensive destruction are making the rescue operation increasingly challenging.
