Rescue teams in Nepal pulled a 64-year-old woman named Chandrika Shrestha alive from her mud-buried home in the Nuwakot district on Saturday, ten days after a massive disaster struck the region, according to police and disaster response reports. Shrestha’s survival follows a devastating tsunami-like wall of water and mud that swept across the China-Nepal border on August 26, triggered by a glacial and rock collapse.
The Rescue Operation in Nuwakot and Rasuwa Districts
Members of Nepal’s Armed Police Force located Shrestha while clearing thick debris in the Nuwakot district, according to police deputy superintendent Iqbal Hawari speaking to AFP. Video footage released by the Armed Police Force showed only the upper portion of Shrestha’s home visible, with lower floors completely submerged by thick sludge. Following her extraction, authorities airlifted her to Kathmandu for urgent medical treatment, local media reported.
Earlier emergency personnel also rescued a Chinese man alive from inside a tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project located in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, according to official reports.
Did you know?
Emergency response teams have continued working around the clock to locate survivors in remote areas cut off by the August 26 glacial and rock collapse.
Casualty Figures and Cross-Border Impact
The disaster has left a significant toll across both nations. According to data from Nepal’s national disaster agency, 1,344 bodies have been recovered nationwide. Police records indicate that 8,631 people have been successfully rescued in total. Meanwhile, official figures reported by state media in China note 31 deaths resulting from the catastrophe.
Discrepancies remain regarding the exact count of those still missing. Nepal’s national disaster agency places the number of missing individuals at about 5,000, while updated figures released by Nepal police state that 4,898 people remain out of contact. In China, state media reported 531 people missing, bringing the combined international death toll to 1,375 with more than 5,500 people still unaccounted for.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the glacial collapse happen?
The disaster struck on August 26, when a glacial and rock collapse sent a massive wall of water and mud through the China-Nepal border region.
How many people are still missing?
According to official data from Nepal’s national disaster agency and Chinese state media, more than 5,500 people remain missing across both countries.
Where was Chandrika Shrestha treated?
After being pulled from the mud in Nuwakot district, Shrestha received initial care before being airlifted to Kathmandu for further medical treatment, according to local reports.
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