Five Days After Nepal Earthquake, Survivor Pulled Out Of Rubble [Video]
An 18-year-old man has been pulled alive from the rubble of a multistory residential building in Kathmandu, five days after the devastating Nepal earthquake that left over 5,000 people dead. The rescue came on day six of the continuous relief and rescue operations underway in Nepal. The 18-year-old man, identified as Pemba Tamang, was carried out on a stretcher minutes after he was rescued from the fallen building. A crowd that had assembled near the area erupted in loud cheer when he was carried out of the rubble by rescue personnel.
According to CNN, Pemba was rescued by Inspector Lakshman Basnet of the Nepalese Armed Police Force, who confirmed that Tamang did not show signs of any serious injury and that he was very responsive for someone who was buried under a pile of rubble for nearly six days. Soon after the rescue, Tamang was given an IV drip and rushed to a makeshift emergency medical facility run by an Israeli aid team
According to USA Today, Tamang was rescued after he made fervent appeals to rescue him. His voice was luckily heard by rescue personnel, and what followed was a massive five-hour effort to extricate Tamang safety from the pile of rubble.
An American disaster response team stationed nearby also played an active role in the rescue efforts and rushed to the spot with search dogs, cameras, and other sophisticated equipment to aid the rescue. According to Andrew Olvera, the head of the U.S. team, the mission to rescue Tamang carried enormous risks as chunks from the collapsed building were clinging precariously and could have fallen on the rescuers.
“It’s dangerous but it’s what we do. It’s risk versus gain. To save a human life, we will risk almost everything. The way the building is, it’s definitely a miracle,” the father of three told CNN
Later, Tamang told reporters that the only reason he survived the fall of the building was because of a motorcycle that came between him and the falling chunks of debris. The bike shielded him from being crushed and took most of the weight of the fallen steel and concrete. When he realized he was still alive, Tamang made several attempts to scream for help.
Dennis Bautista, who administered medical aid to Tamang soon after he was rescued, called Tamang a brave young man.
“It feels good to be able to help out. I can’t imagine what he went through. He is a brave young man.”
Meanwhile, the search for survivors continues on the sixth day since the Nepal earthquake. As of now, the total death toll stands at 5,489 people. There are 11,000 others who have been injured. Seventy-two people were reported dead in India, and 25 deaths came from China.
The Inquisitr reported yesterday about the story of Rishi Khanal, a man who was rescued after spending 82 hours beneath the rubble following the Nepal earthquake. Another amazing rescue was of a 4-month-old baby named Sonit Awal, who was pulled out alive from the rubble after 22 hours.
[Photo By Omar Havana/Getty Images]
