fbpx

News

Israeli team in Nepal rescues woman, treats another survivor

[ssba]

An Israeli rescue team in Nepal yesterday pulled out alive a woman in her 20s from a Kathmandu building, while a teenage boy who had also been rescued was receiving treatment in an IDF field hospital.

The two life-saving incidents were rare moments of hope among the scenes of destruction in Nepal following Saturday’s massive earthquake. 24-year-old Krishna Kumari Khadka had been working as a maid in a hotel when the earthquake struck and had been trapped under its wreckage ever since, alongside bodies of the deceased. However, the Israeli rescue team, alongside colleagues from Norway and France evacuated her from the rubble.

Also yesterday, there were loud cheers as 15-year-old Pemba Tamang was pulled out alive from the remains of a seven-story building in Kathmandu. He was taken immediately to the IDF field hospital in the city which was set up this week to aid survivors and the injured. Speaking from the facility, Tamang told AFP “I never thought I would make it out alive.”

The field hospital is the largest ever constructed by the IDF, despite having established similar facilities in disaster zones in recent years including Haiti and the Philippines. A 260-strong team from IDF Home Front Command arrived in Nepal earlier this week, having been delayed due to aftershocks which caused damage to the landing strips at Kathmandu Airport. The team has brought with it 95 tons of medical and humanitarian supplies and the field hospital is staffed by 122 doctors, nurses and paramedics. They are operating an emergency room, operating theatres, X-ray facilities and a room for expectant mothers. An IDF spokeswoman added, “We also have an eye doctor and other types of specialists.”

In addition, two teams from Israeli-based humanitarian organisation IsraAID are in Nepal, coordinating efforts with the Nepalese authorities, United Nations agencies, and the International Aid Agencies. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambulance service, Magen David Adom has also set up first aid stations in Kathmandu.