91-Year-Old Woman Becomes Symbol Of Survival After Nepal Floods Kill More Than 1,200

According to NDTV, Guna Maya Bohara was rescued from a senior citizens' care home in Devighat, a riverside town in Nepal's Nuwakot district, after floodwaters buried the building under thick layers of mud and debris. Images of Bohara, covered in mud and sitting inside the bucket of an excavator after her rescue, have gone viral across social media and become a powerful symbol of resilience.

Bohara survived for nearly three hours inside her ground-floor room as floodwaters rapidly filled the building. Volunteers said she managed to keep herself alive by opening a window and keeping her head above the water level until local rescuers reached the care home.

The care home was hit during breakfast as powerful flash floods swept through Devighat. Survivors told NDTV they had little warning before the disaster struck and rushed toward higher ground, but several elderly residents were unable to escape in time.

Authorities said seven residents of the care home died in the flooding, while Bohara and several others were rescued and later airlifted to a temporary shelter in Kathmandu. Relief workers said the rescued residents are receiving medical treatment, food, clothing and psychological support, and their health conditions are stable.

The floods have caused widespread destruction across Nepal, washing away homes, roads and public infrastructure in multiple districts. Search-and-rescue operations remain underway as emergency teams continue digging through mudslides and flooded areas in search of survivors.

Nepal's army, police and international rescue teams are also searching several hydropower tunnels where people are feared trapped after floodwaters and debris inundated the sites. Excavators and other heavy equipment are being used as rescue efforts continue.

Officials say the disaster has killed more than 1,200 people, while over 4,200 others remain missing. The catastrophe has triggered a major humanitarian response, with thousands displaced and emergency shelters established for survivors as authorities continue relief and recovery operations across the flood-hit country.

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