An extraordinary rescue has emerged from the devastation left by a powerful earthquake in eastern Indonesia, after an 84-year-old woman was found alive beneath the ruins of her home three days after the disaster. Paulina Pobi, who lived in Nitunglea village on Flores, was trapped beneath the collapsed bamboo walls of her house after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck on 15 August. A landslide had blocked access to the village, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the area. Pobi was unable to move or call for help, but her family eventually discovered her alive beneath the rubble on the fourth day. She was taken to the nearest health centre after being safely evacuated. Local official Rudolfus Riba told The Guardian, she had suffered no injuries but was weak because she had gone without food or water for several days. He described the discovery as feeling “unreal, almost like a miracle”. Her survival was especially remarkable given the difficult conditions rescuers faced while reaching the isolated village and searching through the earthquake-damaged area.
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