KATHMANDU, April 26: Who can forget Sonish Awal when recounting stories of survivors of the deadly April 25, 2015 earthquake? Rescuers pulled the four-month-old baby out alive after 22 hours under the rubble, and the world watched in awe. While the earthquake brought tears across the globe, Sonish's dust-covered face and miraculous survival inspired hope in many.
In the first week of Baisakh, I went to Sonish Awal's home at Mul Dhoka, Bhaktapur, to check in on him. I rang the doorbell with the image of his dust-covered face still vivid in my mind. Within moments, light spilled from the doorway. A boy with a gentle smile opened the door, asked, "Who are you looking for?" and then introduced himself, saying, "I'm Sonish."
At 10, soon to be 11, Sonish shone like the morning sun.
"I came to see you," I said, holding his hand. "What are you doing these days?"
"Our school just reopened today. I'm now in Grade 5," Sonish said. "It's almost time to head out to school too."
Just a short conversation with Sonish lifted my spirits. I spotted a photo from the earthquake days hanging on the wall - he picked it up and posed with it. The earthquake may have claimed tens of thousands of lives, and that pain may never fade, but the smile of this little boy who survived filled me with hope. As I watched Sonish smile, his old photograph brought the memories of that time vividly back to life.
Sonish's story of rebirth
Worth of stories
At a time when the entire nation was in tears from the devastation of the earthquake, the news of a baby boy rescued after 22 hours brought a message of hope to people across Nepal and around the world. As the country mourned the deaths of nearly 10,000 people, this five-month-old child emerged as a symbol of light in the darkness. His unbelievable rescue felt nothing short of a miracle.
On April 25, Rasila Awal of Mul Dhoka-4 had left her five-month-old son Sonish and 10-year-old daughter Soniya at home while she stepped out for a short while. Suddenly, the earthquake struck. Within moments, houses along the path she had taken began to collapse with a thunderous crash. She narrowly escaped harm but was overwhelmed by fear for her children, who were inside their old house.
Panicked, she rushed back only to find that her house had collapsed completely. Her two children, along with her sister-in-law's two daughters, were buried under the rubble. She cried out for help. After about two hours of desperate efforts, rescuers were able to pull her daughter Soniya out safely. Sadly, her sister-in-law's daughters, aged 17 and 15, were found dead. And baby Sonish was still missing.
The aftershocks kept shaking the ground. With each tremor, more bricks and mud fell from the collapsed houses onto the street. Rasila grew increasingly terrified. Suddenly, she heard a faint cry - it was her baby. Hope surged within her. Her son was alive. But she didn't know where he was buried.
Just then, a team of Nepal Army personnel arrived for the rescue. Rasila rushed to them and pleaded for help. The soldiers immediately began clearing the rubble of what used to be her home. They heard the baby's cry but could not locate him. Soon, locals gathered around and joined the rescue. Together, they launched a desperate mission to save one precious life.
The Nepal Army worked tirelessly until 11 p.m., but they could not find Sonish. Aftershocks made the site unsafe, and the soldiers prepared to leave for the night. Rasila, however, begged them to stay. They promised to return early the next morning to resume the search. Rasila stayed behind, refusing to leave, as tears streamed down her face throughout the night.
Before dawn on Baisakh 13, the army team returned and began clearing the rubble from the area where they had heard the baby's cries. They worked with extreme caution. Although they believed the child was alive, one small mistake could put his life at risk. After relentless efforts, they found Sonish alive at 10 a.m. A wave of joy swept through Muldhoka, lifting the mood of grief stricken village. The joy spread everywhere.
A person always searches for happiness, choosing happiness over sorrow. Whenever people remember the earthquake, Sonish always comes to mind. Although he was born in the month of Poush, his family celebrates his new birth on Baisakh 12. After being trapped under rubble for 22 hours and rescued safely, Sonish is now 10 years old and about to turn 11.
Sonish, who studies in Grade 5, brings smiles to the entire community with his own smile. The famous photographer Amul Thapa from Bhaktapur, Jowkhel-8, captured a photograph of Sonish Awaal on the morning of Baisakh 13, which unexpectedly brought him both fame and recognition. After the earthquake on Baisakh 12, Thapa was returning home and reached Muldhoka.
The next day, he joined the rescue efforts. While rescuing, he took a photo, which later became famous worldwide. He quickly gained recognition. "This photo made me very happy," he says. "I had captured a photo of happiness."
Although the earthquake had destroyed his home, he felt immense stress while helping rescue the child, but suddenly, he experienced happiness. "When I saw the child alive, all my pain disappeared. Everyone was clapping. This gave me energy, and despite the pain, a smile appeared on my face," he says.
Other character in the photograph
Soon after the publication of the photo of Sonish Awaal's rescue, the photo gained fame both nationally and internationally. The image of the child, rescued alive after being buried for 22 hours, inspired hope in many. Alongside Sonish Awaal, another face appears in the photograph—a Nepal Army soldier. In some frames, he holds the child in his arms, while in others, dust flies from his face. He is Subedar Deepak Rai of the Nepal Army.
After the devastating earthquake of Baisakh 12, which caused extensive loss of life and property, he was stationed at the 1st Disaster Management Battalion in Sundarijal and traveled to Bhaktapur with his team.
The scene in Bhaktapur was horrible. People cried and mourned everywhere. Most houses had collapsed, and people had scattered across the fields and open spaces. When a house near Muldhoka collapsed, it buried four people, two of whom had already died. Another person was rescued, but a five-month-old baby remained trapped under the rubble. The Nepal Army received the news.
Subedar Rai and his team immediately moved to the collapsed site and began searching. "Given the condition of the site and surroundings, we didn't expect the child to be alive," he said, "but we carefully continued the search, removing the rubble with caution."
The constant aftershocks risked causing nearby dilapidated houses to collapse. After the earthquake paused, the Nepal Army team promised to resume the search and took a brief rest. However, Deepak couldn't stop thinking about the baby through the night, and the sound of the mother's cries echoed in his mind. At dawn, they returned to the same location. "During the final phase of the rescue, I heard the soft cry of the baby," he said. "That's when I became certain the child was alive."
He described how the dust and the burning sensation from the chilli made the environment unbearable. When he reached the baby, immense joy filled him.
The baby lay under an overturned chair, one foot slightly crushed and his face covered in dust. Deepak carefully approached and gently pulled the baby out. As he looked at the baby's face, he saw him smile the moment fresh air touched his skin. "That was one of the happiest moments of my life," he said. "Our team was overjoyed."
