Nepal flash floods: 60-year-old woman rescued alive after 10 days under mud, debris in Nuwakot

A 60-year-old woman was found alive after spending 10 days trapped beneath mud and debris on the top floor of a four-storey house in Bidur town of Nepal’s Nuwakot district following devastating flash floods, officials said, according to PTI.

The woman, identified as Chandika Shrestha, was found unconscious by a nine-member team of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF). A video shared by Nepal Police showed rescuers digging through mud and sludge before pulling her out through a window. She gradually regained consciousness as rescuers wrapped her in a blanket and jacket.

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Shrestha was flown by helicopter to the Nepali Army’s Maithili Barracks in Trishuli for initial treatment. APF deputy spokesperson Shailendra Thapa said she was being flown to Kathmandu for further medical care.

Her survival comes amid a major humanitarian crisis in Nepal, with flash floods devastating large parts of the country. The floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, PTI reported.

The Bhotekoshi River, flowing south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges across several districts. Hydropower projects were also damaged in the disaster.

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More than 1,300 people have died, while around 5,000 remain missing, according to officials. The floods have caused widespread destruction in northern and central Nepal, leaving communities cut off and thousands in need of assistance.

Rescue operations have continued across the affected areas, with more than 13,000 people rescued so far.

Shrestha’s discovery offers a rare note of hope amid the devastation, as emergency teams continue searching damaged homes and other areas for people who may have survived the floods.

(With PTI inputs)