‘Save me’: Rescuers find Nepal flood survivor after hearing her weak voice
A woman in Nepal was rescued alive from the rubble of her home 10 days after her family, believing she had died in the devastating floods, began traditional mourning rites, Reuters reported.
Chandika Kumari Shrestha was found trapped in a small space inside her collapsed home in Betrawati, one of the areas severely affected by the disaster. Police said rescuers heard her calling for help and freed her during a 45-minute operation before taking her to a military hospital.
Shrestha is among several survivors found days after the flooding in central Nepal. Rescue teams continue searching collapsed buildings, tunnels and hardened mud deposits for signs of life.
The floods have killed more than 1,300 people across the country, while thousands remain missing. Authorities have also recovered bodies far from the worst-hit areas after they were carried downstream by floodwaters.
This is not the only case of what has been described as a «miraculous survival.» In 2010, Evan Muncie, a 28-year-old rice vendor, was pulled alive from rubble in Port-au-Prince following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. He had reportedly been trapped for 27 days and lost significant weight during the ordeal. Reports at the time suggested he may have had limited access to water. His case has been described as one of the most remarkable survival stories from the earthquake.
Another extraordinary case occured in 2011, when Japanese rescuers found Hiromitsu Shinkawa, a 60-year-old resident of Fukushima Prefecture, about 16 kilometers from shore following the powerful earthquake and tsunami. He had survived for two days at sea and later described his rescue after being spotted offshore as a miracle.
Meanwhile, international organizations, including the UN and the EU, have responded to the disaster in Nepal by providing humanitarian aid and financial support. Search and recovery operations are continuing as authorities look for survivors and recover the bodies of those killed.
