How a photographer captured a moment of hope in a devastated Nepal

DEVIGHAT, Nepal (AP) — Niranjan Shrestha is an Associated Press photographer based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He started working with the AP in 2011.

Here’s what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.

It was the first time that day I encountered a survivor being rescued alive. After witnessing the immense destruction and the suffering all around me, seeing someone pulled from the disaster alive felt like a powerful reminder of hope. It was important for me to show the world not only the scale of the devastation and the human suffering, but also that there was still hope that more of the hundreds of missing people could be found alive.

As I was photographing the survivors being treated at the hospital, I heard that a rescue operation was underway in Devighat, Nuwakot, one of the hardest-hit areas. I immediately ran over, knowing how important it was to document the rescue. I had no idea that the survivor being brought out was a very elderly woman.

It was a deeply tragic scene, surrounded by the scale of destruction. But when she arrived on the earthmover, there was a smile on her face. That smile, after everything she had endured, gave…

Original source: https://apnews.com/business