97-yr-old survives 8-9 hrs in debris, gives hope for more miracles

TRISHULI BAZAAR: Two two-year-old girls and a 97-year-old woman emerged at opposite ends of the age spectrum among survivors of Nepal’s Aug 26 flood, which tore through the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli corridor, sweeping away homes, schools, roads and bridges. The toddlers were listed as safe in Nepal govt’s survivor database, while the elderly woman survived after spending around eight to nine hours trapped in mud and debris. Their stories have given the embattled country hope that it desperately needs.Sabya Munakami (2) was recorded as found safe at Devighat in Bidur Municipality-3 on Aug 27, a day after floodwaters swept downstream into Nuwakot. The official record did not detail where she was when the flood struck, who was with her or how she managed to remain safe. Another two-year-old girl, Kabya Munakami, made it out safely at Devighat.On the other side was Guna Maya Bohara (97) the oldest documented survivor verified after the disaster. Floodwater, mud and debris engulfed the care home where she was staying at Kabilash in Nuwakot, leaving her trapped as roads disappeared and rescuers struggled to reach the area.Her grandson Rasik Bohra said she had been stuck in the mud for around eight to nine hours when relatives spotted a small movement. “She was shaking her head,” he said. That movement told the family she was still alive.Rescuers and relatives worked through dense mud and wreckage for several hours to free her. Heavy machinery cleared a route through the devastated area as ambulances were unable to reach the spot.Once Bohara was freed, rescuers placed her in the large metal bucket of an earthmover and carried her across. Her clothes, hair and face were covered in sludge as she sat silently in the bucket on the way to safety. “I was emotional. I can’t express that feeling,” Rasik said. Her great-nephew Dipak Bohara, who had travelled from Kathmandu and joined the rescue effort, described the 97-year-old as looking like “a warrior” returning from battle after she was pulled out alive.Bohara was later taken to Bir Hospital in Kathmandu. Despite her age and the hours she spent trapped, she suffered no significant injuries. “Nothing happened to her. She is totally fine now,” Rasik said. “She was very strong. At that age... it’s a wonder.”The family’s relief was, however, tempered by the continuing search for relatives and others missing. Rasik said the scale of destruction made it difficult to know how many remained unaccounted for. “There are so many people like me who are stuck,” he said.China restores access to Tibet disaster zone: China has fully reopened the only road leading to the Gyirong border crossing into Nepal a week after sections were washed away, allowing heavy machinery to reach the main disaster zone for the first time. The damage to the G216 national highway had meant that China had been airdropping supplies to frontline rescuers.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.