Teenager Rescued in Nepal After Five Days in Rubble
KATHMANDU, Nepal, April 30 (UPI) — Huge crowds cheered when a teenager was rescued in Nepal after spending about five days underneath the rubble of a collapsed building following Saturday’s earthquake.
The teenager, identified as 18-year-old Pemba Tamang, was trapped under the wreckage of a seven-story building in Kathmandu. He was given an IV and taken to a field hospital for treatment.
“It’s a miracle, a true miracle,” a police force general at the scene told NBC News. “He came out and he’s okay!”
The teen apparently survived by breathing into an air pocket, drinking water dripping from wet clothes and by eating pots of clarified butter.
A group of international rescuers worked for about six hours to free the teen by using excavators, saws, shovels and jacks. He was conscious and communicating when freed.
“It feels good to be able to help out. I can’t imagine what he went through,” Dennis Bautista, who helped administer medical aid, said. “He is a brave young man.”
About 5,500 people have died due to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the region. The death toll may rise further and bad weather is hampering relief efforts.
A 4-month-old infant was also rescued from wreckage about 22 hours after the earthquake. Soldiers initially missed the infant during their search, but returned after hearing faint cries from below the rubble.
About 1.7 million children are in urgent need of aid in areas worst-affected by the earthquake in Nepal.
