Nepali Woman Found Alive in Collapsed Home Days After Mourning Began
ContestedRigor 539 sources
The Story
Rescuers found Chandika Kumari Shrestha alive inside her collapsed home in Betrawati village, Nepal, ten days after her family began mourning rites, believing she had perished in the deadly floods. Police officer Mahendra Darnal and his team found Shrestha in a confined space during a 45-minute rescue operation on Saturday, sending her to an army hospital. Shrestha survived in a narrow pocket of air amid water and mud within her four-storey house, which had been swept away. Darnal reported hearing a voice saying save me. Rescuers found two more people alive on Saturday, joining two saved the day before, with three found in hydropower tunnels. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha stated search and rescue operations continue despite multiple challenges. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Chandrika Shrestha's rescue given hope to the entire nation. The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse and ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, has killed at least 1,344 people in Nepal, with nearly 5,000 still missing. More than 13,100 people have been rescued. Identifying the dead remains a major challenge, with many bodies severely damaged or decomposed. Only 98 bodies had been identified. Nepal Police collect DNA samples from relatives to identify unclaimed bodies. The disaster also killed at least 31 people in China, with over 500 missing in Tibet. Malaysia sent DNA samples to identify 55 missing Malaysians.
The Spread
Contested
What they agree on
- Rescuers in Nepal have found individuals alive days after devastating floods, including Chandika Kumari Shrestha.
- The floods, triggered by a glacial collapse and ice-rock avalanche on August 26, have resulted in over 1,300 deaths and nearly 5,000 missing in Nepal.
- Identifying the recovered bodies is a challenge due to their condition, leading authorities to collect DNA samples from relatives.
- Search and rescue operations are ongoing, including in hydropower tunnels, despite difficult conditions.
- The disaster has also affected the Chinese side of the border, with casualties and missing persons reported in Tibet.
Where they split
- Cyprus Mail and Malay Mail specifically highlight the story of Chandika Kumari Shrestha being found alive after her family had begun mourning rites.
- Greater Kashmir and Republica (Nepal) provide detailed figures on the death toll, missing persons, and the number of bodies identified and unidentified.
- Hürriyet Daily News and Bangkok Post emphasize the "miracle finds" and the tough conditions faced by Nepali rescuers.
- Greater Kashmir also focuses on DNA testing as the "last hope" for families searching for missing loved ones.
Source Perspectives
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