Seven-month-old Sweta Kumar was rescued after being trapped in rubble for three days.
| Seven-month-old Sweta Kumar was rescued after being trapped in rubble for three days. |
In one of the worst tragedies to hit India in 50 years, there are a few stories of hope. Last Thursday, nearly a week after a terrible earthquake struck the western state of Gujarat (see A Tragic Quake Shakes India, 2/2/01), a pair of newlyweds were rescued. The two had been buried under broken concrete for six days after their apartment building collapsed during the quake. Rescuers had given up hope of finding anyone alive.
But Jayesh Thakkar, 26, and his wife Kuntal, 22, hung on. Though they couldn't see each other through the rubble, they kept talking to keep their hopes up. "We were telling each other to believe in the gods," he said.
The bigger picture in India is very grim. An estimated 25,000 people were killed and 600,000 left homeless by the earthquake. Thousands of survivors are still sleeping in the streets and in makeshift tents.
More than 20 countries are helping India recover from the disaster. They have sent food, clothes and medical supplies. Specially trained rescue teams have come from all over the world to search for survivors. Soon they will turn to rebuilding Gujarat-with buildings that are more quake-resistant-and caring for the homeless and hurt.