By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : A Nepali woman, who was trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Saturday’s massive earthquake, was brought out alive by an Indian team of rescuers after two agonising days. Amidst the devastation all around her, she said it “feels like a different world” now.
Sunita Sitaula was trapped under the debris as the five-storey house collapsed in Basundhara in Maharajgunj area of Kathmandu.
Her husband and children were outside the house, and thus managed to escape unhurt.
She received a rousing welcome on Monday evening after a rescue team successfully brought her out from the rubble.
“It feels like I have come into a different world,” Sitaula, who is now taking shelter in a local school along with her family, told the media on Tuesday.
“My husband and children were outside the house, I was washing dishes inside the kitchen.
“All of a sudden, the entire house stared shaking. My husband and children were outside, but I could not go out. I was trapped inside. I was helpless,” she said.
“I tried to catch hold of my kitchen door but a huge chunk of concrete had already trapped half of my body. I was feeling helpless and hopeless. There was no chance of moving. I prayed to god,” she said.
She said she cried a lot, thinking she would certainly die.
Sitaula said she heard a person say someone was alive under the debris, but heard or saw no further movements.
For over two days, she cried and wept inconsolably, waiting for someone to rescue her.
On Monday, she again heard someone say: “Let’s save the people who are alive. Forget about those who died.”
Someone said “We are trying (to get to you)…”
“I did not see any ray of hope. Probably, the time I spent there was one of the longest moments of my life with a lot of fear.
“All of a sudden on Monday afternoon, I heard voices. They were speaking in Hindi. After bringing me out, I came to know they were Indian rescue personnel,” Sitaula said.
She was later taken to a hospital. After being discharged and reunited with her family members, she has now taken refuge at the Basundhara Academy School.
(Anil Giri can be contacted at [email protected])