RismadarVoice Reporters
September 6, 2026
A Nepali woman has been rescued alive from the remains of her collapsed home, ten days after her family began mourning rituals believing she had died in devastating floods and mudslides that have affected parts of the country.
Chandika Kumari Shrestha was found trapped inside a small air pocket beneath the wreckage of her four-storey home in Betrawati village, Nuwakot district, after rescue workers heard her calling for help while searching through the disaster zone.
Nepal Police officer Mahendra Darnal said rescuers discovered Shrestha during a 45-minute operation on Saturday and immediately transported her to an army hospital for medical attention.
“The four-storey house was swept away by the floods and the house was left in the middle of quicksand. While walking around it, we heard a voice saying ‘save me’,” Darnal said.
The officer added that Shrestha’s family had already started an 11-day mourning period after believing she had lost her life in the disaster.
Betrawati remains one of the worst-hit areas following the floods, with residential buildings and markets buried under thick layers of mud and debris. Rescue teams continue searching for survivors and recovering bodies from collapsed structures.
Authorities said the floods, triggered by a glacial collapse, have killed more than 1,300 people across Nepal, while thousands remain missing.
Rescue workers have continued digging through hardened mud and damaged buildings, using shovels and other equipment while searching for signs of life. In recent days, several people have been rescued from tunnels and collapsed structures, including survivors found near the Trishuli River area.
Nepal authorities said nearly 5,000 people are still missing more than a week after the disaster, with recovery efforts complicated by difficult terrain and widespread destruction.
The rescue of Shrestha adds to a series of remarkable survival stories emerging from the disaster zone, including an eight-year-old boy who survived by climbing trees before being reunited with his mother.
