A five-year-old girl has been reunited with her parents after a dramatic rescue from rubble, offering a rare moment of hope as devastating floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border leave at least 768 people dead and more than 3,000 missing.
Manisha was rescued on Friday after spending about two days trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed building near Syabrubesi in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
Rescue workers searching the area reportedly heard what they initially thought was a cat trapped beneath the rubble. After removing debris for about two hours, they discovered Manisha alive.
She was barely responsive when rescuers pulled her out. Bad weather prevented an immediate helicopter evacuation, so she was taken to a rescue camp, where she was given water and boiled rice water.
Manisha later regained consciousness and was flown to a teaching hospital in Kathmandu. Hospital officials said on Sunday that she was in a stable condition and had been reunited with her parents.
Her rescue comes as emergency teams continue a huge search operation across areas devastated by the floods.
Nepalese authorities have reported 752 deaths and 2,498 people missing, while Chinese authorities have confirmed 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Tibet. Together, the figures put the confirmed death toll at 768, with more than 3,000 people still unaccounted for.
More than 8,000 people have been rescued in Nepal, with nearly 20,000 security personnel deployed as rescue teams battle difficult terrain, damaged infrastructure, heavy rain and rising river levels.
The disaster was triggered by a catastrophic glacier collapse and landslide in the Himalayas, sending huge volumes of water and debris down towards communities along the Trishuli River.
Authorities are now also warning of the possibility of further flooding. New landslides have created additional blockages and barrier lakes, increasing concerns that more water could be released into already devastated areas.
In Tibet, 546 people remain missing, including 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries, according to Chinese authorities. Search operations there have been complicated by difficult access and concerns over further landslides and flooding.
As rescue teams continue working through mud and debris, Manisha’s survival and reunion with her parents has provided a powerful reminder that, despite the scale of the disaster, rescuers are still finding people alive.
Families across Nepal and other countries continue to wait anxiously for news of thousands of people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Additional reporting AFP