In an extraordinary rescue, a 97‑year‑old Nepali woman was pulled from flood debris amid a catastrophic wall of water that swept across treelined valleys and rural homes.
Guna Maya Bohara is currently receiving medical care in a hospital after the very brief but intense rescue operation that lasted roughly four hours at her care home. Her great‑nephew, Dipak Bohara, told local news that she looked like a warrior who had returned victorious from battle. The image of her, determined and resilient, has become a symbol of hope amid the tragedy.
Bohara travelled from Kathmandu specifically to help rescue her great‑aunt and now bears the signs of a painful struggle—yet her age and courage shine through the harrowing circumstances.
Scientists point out that the flash floods that began on Wednesday were most likely triggered by the sudden collapse of a glacier along the Himalayan border with Tibet. Hundreds of people have been confirmed dead in the wake of the disaster.
Video produced by Mansi Kapur and Kamal Pariyar shows the overwhelming scene; the footage was edited by Suneth Perera, Jasmin Dyer and Andrew Webb.
