Nepal earthquake ‘miracle’ as teen rescued from the rubble

Pema Lama was rescued from the rubble of the Hilton Hotel on Thursday by Nepal’s Armed Police Force.

The rescue was a rare moment of joy for the locals and search teams who have been digging through collapsed buildings since the start of the week, and was met with cheers from a gathered crowd.

However, officials say the chance of finding more survivors is fading.

Rain is making the rescue operations more difficult, especially for helicopters trying to reach remote villages.

Other rescues have included a fourth-month old baby rescued from a house the day after the earthquake, and a 28-year-old man, Rishi Khanal, who was pulled from a collapsed apartment block after spending 80 hours in a room with three dead bodies.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake could reach as high as 10,000.

Rain is making the rescue operations more difficult, especially for helicopters trying to reach remote villages.

Other rescues have included a fourth-month old baby rescued from a house the day after the earthquake, and a 28-year-old man, Rishi Khanal, who was pulled from a collapsed apartment block after spending 80 hours in a room with three dead bodies.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake could reach as high as 10,000.

Kathmandu demonstrators protest against lack of government aid to quake victims (Reuters)

‘Nature is against us’

Meanwhile, the search for more survivors continues – but officials have said the chance of finding any more survivors is bleak.

“There may not be any more survivors,” said Rameshwor Dandal, chief of the disaster management centre at Nepal’s home ministry.

“The rain is adding to the problems. Nature seems to be against us.”

There may not be any more survivors… Nature seems to be against us. Nepal home ministry spokesman

The ministry says the number of confirmed days had risen to 5,238 by Wednesday night, with another 10,350 injured. The quake also killed more than 80 people in India and Tibet.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has said the death toll could reach 10,000, with information on casualties and damage in remote towns and villages yet to come in. The last major Nepal earthquake, in 1934, resulted in 8,500 deaths.

Read more: Nepal quake survivors and families tell their tales

Anger and frustration

Anger and frustration is mounting over the pace of rescue efforts, with many Nepalis sleeping out in the open under makeshift tents.

Wednesday saw protests outside Nepal’s parliament, and villagers blocked trucks carrying supplies, demanding the government do more to speed the distribution of aid.

In the next few days or weeks, I am sure there will be an outbreak of epidemics. Kathmandu-based sanitation specialist

In Kathmandu and other cities, hospitals overflowed with injured soon after the quake, with many being treated out in the open or not at all.
Guna Raj, who works for a Kathmandu-based NGO specialising in providing sanitation, said the shortage of toilets and clean water had resulted in outbreaks of diarrhoea in relief camps.

“In the next few days or weeks, I am sure there will be an outbreak of epidemics,” he warned.

‘No additional risk’

Climbing on Mount Everest is due resume next week after damage to routes caused by avalanches set off by the earthquake. 18 climbers died in one avalanche at base camp on the mountain at the weekend.

At an informal meeting of officials and climbing groups, it was agreed that there was “no additional risk” to climbers as a result of the quake.

Nepal tourism ministry official Tulsi Prasad Gautam said 60-70 foreign climbers remained at base camp, but expected climbers to regroup and more than 350 to try to reach the summit.

Gurkhas arrive

A team of Gurkhas has arrived in Nepal to help the relief and rescue effort in the country.

Eighteen engineers – 12 from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles and six from the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers – will help operate water purification equipment after damage to water supplies.

More than 100 British people stranded by the earthquake in Nepal arrived back in the UK early on Thursday morning.