97-Year-Old Woman Rescued Alive From Nepal Flood Rubble After Four-Hour Operation
A 97-year-old woman has emerged as a symbol of hope after being rescued alive from the rubble of a care home destroyed by devastating floods in Nepal.
Guna Maya Bohara was trapped beneath mud and debris after powerful flash floods swept through the area. Rescuers, including Nepalese police and army personnel, spent around four hours clearing the rubble before finally reaching her.
Images of Bohara covered in mud and sitting inside the bucket of an excavator have since spread widely, becoming one of the most striking images to emerge from the disaster.
‘She looked like a warrior’
Bohara’s great-nephew, Dipak Bohara, travelled from Kathmandu to help with the rescue operation.
Speaking to BBC Nepali, he described the emotional moment when his great-aunt was brought out of the wreckage, saying she looked like “a warrior” returning victorious from battle.
According to accounts of the rescue, members of the family and rescuers used ropes tied to trees to reach the devastated area. They eventually discovered that Bohara was still alive beneath the debris, despite the destruction around her.
The difficult rescue operation then continued for several hours as heavy mud and rubble had to be carefully removed.
Eventually, Bohara was lifted from the wreckage and placed in an excavator’s bucket to take her away from the disaster zone. The remarkable scene was captured on camera and quickly attracted international attention.
Recovering in hospital
Bohara was taken to hospital following her rescue and is now recovering. Doctors said her condition was improving, according to reports.
She has reportedly been unable to explain how she managed to survive beneath the debris, making her rescue even more remarkable amid the scale of destruction caused by the floods.
Her survival has provided a rare moment of hope as Nepal continues to deal with the aftermath of catastrophic flooding along the Himalayan border region.
Nepal flood disaster leaves hundreds dead
The flash floods have caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, damaging homes, roads and bridges and leaving large numbers of people dead or missing.
Reports on Saturday said the death toll had crossed 600, while thousands of people were still unaccounted for as rescue teams continued searching affected areas.
The disaster has also severely disrupted transport and access to some remote communities, making rescue operations particularly difficult.
Amid the devastation, the rescue of Guna Maya Bohara has become a powerful reminder of the possibility of survival even in the most extreme circumstances.
The image of the 97-year-old woman, covered in mud but alive and being carried away in an excavator’s bucket, has given the disaster a deeply human face — and offered Nepal a rare story of hope amid tragedy.
