- Guna Maya Bohara, 97, was rescued from flood debris after four hours by the Nepal Army and police
- Bohara’s image in an excavator bucket has become a symbol of hope amid Nepal’s flood disaster
- At least 676 bodies have been recovered, and about 3,000 people remain missing
Guna Maya Bohara, 97, has become a symbol of hope amid Nepal's devastating floods. In a viral video, Bohara can be seen sitting inside the shovel of an excavator. Her mud-covered clothes and the exhausted expression on her face speak volumes about the destruction caused by the floods.
Bohara had been trapped beneath the rubble of the care home where she was staying after the floods tore through the area, reported BBC Nepali.
It took police and the Nepal Army around four hours to pull her out of the debris. Her great-nephew, Dipak Bohara, had travelled from Kathmandu to help with the rescue.
Read: "What Will Happen To Him?" Nepal Woman Stays Home With Bedridden Husband Despite Flood Alert
He told BBC Nepali that Bohara looked like “a warrior” returning victorious from battle. “My brother and son went further using a rope tied to the trees. They said grandma is still alive, but many others seem to be dead,” he recalled.
That image has since travelled far beyond the rescue site. The sight of a 97-year-old woman being carried through the wreckage in an excavator's bucket has become one of the defining visuals of the disaster.
Read: Why Nepal Is So Vulnerable: Glacial Lakes, And A Himalaya That Moves Constantly
Bohara is now recovering in hospital. She is unable to explain how she survived, Le Parisien reported, citing The Times.
Her journey, from being buried beneath flood debris to being carried to safety in an excavator's bucket, has given Nepal's catastrophe a human face.
Over 600 Dead In Nepal Flash Floods
A glacier collapse on Wednesday caused sudden massive flooding in the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal's Rasuwa district.
At least 676 bodies have been recovered so far. Nearly 3,000 people are still missing, including over 300 Indians.
The country's meteorology department has reportedly warned of fresh rainfall and thunderstorms in the area, which could hamper rescue operations.
Nepal's Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle estimated that the country would need $4 billion to $5 billion to rebuild after the floods, an amount equal to nearly a tenth of its economy.
