1 of 2 | Nepalese Rescue team search for the victims in the temple which damaged by the deadly earthquake in Kathmandu on April 29, 2015. Israel sent some 250 soldiers to Nepal to help search for casualties and build a field hospital following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Desperate people in Nepal clashed with riot police and seized supplies of bottled water in the capital April 29 as anger boiled over among survivors of an earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people. Photo by Sanjog Manandhar/UPI |
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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 15-year-old Pemba Tamang, was trapped under the wreckage of a seven-story building in Kathmandu. Rescuers worked for hours to reach him after they heard his voice coming from beneath the rubble. He was given an IV and taken to a field hospital for treatment.
Officials said the boy doesn't appear to have any serious injuries.
"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, including a U.S. team, worked to free Tamang by using excavators, saws, shovels and jacks. He was conscious and communicating when freed.
"It's dangerous, but it's what we do," Andrew Olvera, the leader of the U.S. team, said. "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."
"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."
U.S. officials said Thursday that special forces personnel rescued about 30 people in a Nepalese town called Bamboo Village. Three Americans were reportedly among those rescued.
At least 6,100 people have died since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated the region Saturday. The death is expected to rise further and bad weather is hampering relief efforts. About 14,000 have been injured, officials said.
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.
