Nepal flood: How 97-year-old grandmother survived after being rescued in digger bucket

A 97-year-old grandmother, Gunmaya Bohra, survived the devastating floods in Nepal after being rescued in a mechanical digger bucket. Her image sitting silently in the mud-covered bucket has become a defining moment of the disaster, spreading rapidly across social media. Four days after the flood, The National found Bohra and her family at Kathmandu's Bir Hospital.

She was recovering in a hospital bed surrounded by relatives, although she did not speak for the first two or three days following her rescue due to trauma. Her grandson, Rasik Bohra, expressed his emotional relief and disbelief upon seeing the rescue images. However, not all family members were found safe; several relatives remain missing, and the exact number could be over 50.

The search for Bohra involved contacting patient lists and hospital records, and it took rescuers about eight hours to locate her, as the area was severely damaged by mud, water, and debris. She had been trapped for approximately eight or nine hours before she managed to shake her head, indicating her survival. Rescuers freed her using machinery and carried her to safety in a digger bucket.

Despite her age and the prolonged time spent trapped, Bohra showed no significant injuries. The government has covered her hospital expenses, and doctors are preparing to discharge her. However, the search for missing relatives continues, and the community faces destroyed homes, damaged roads, and missing loved ones. Bohra emphasized the need for international support to help Nepal overcome the disaster.