Play store
A six-year-old girl has been rescued alive after spending three days trapped under mud and debris following devastating floods and landslides in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
Indian news outlet NDTV reported that the dramatic rescue has renewed hope among rescuers working amid the disaster.
The village of Timure in Rasuwa was submerged by a torrent of mud and rocks from the Bhote Koshi River after floods and landslides struck the area last Wednesday.
On Friday, members of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF) heard faint cries while clearing debris during a rescue operation.
They quickly dug through the earth and safely pulled the child out. She was identified as Manisha Magar and was initially given medical treatment at the local Timure border post.
As her condition deteriorated, she needed to be transferred to a better-equipped hospital. However, bad weather prevented her from being flown to Kathmandu on Friday evening. Rescuers kept her condition stable until Saturday afternoon.
As weather conditions improved, she was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where she is now under close observation by specialist doctors, according to NDTV.
A video of the rescue has gone viral on social media, with users praising the rescuers for continuing their search efforts.
However, no family member was found with Manisha when she was rescued. Local authorities and social media users are now working to locate her family.
Nepal has so far recovered 734 bodies from the floods, while more than 2,400 people remain missing.
Highlighting the scale of the destruction, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told reporters in Kathmandu on Saturday that the country could require more than $1 billion for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation.
“We will assess the damage and formulate a plan. However, I appeal to the international community for assistance,” he said.