In the middle of a terrifying night of chaos and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh, a 20-year-old woman from Sharan village in Mandi district fought an unimaginable battle—not just against nature, but for her life. Tuneja Thakur, now hailed as a miracle survivor, clawed through thick mud, jagged rocks, and crushing debris for five long hours, after being buried alive in a landslide triggered by flash floods on June 30.
As relentless rain battered the Seraj valley, Tuneja was caught in a sudden landslide just steps from her house. “It was pitch dark. I heard people shouting, and then within seconds, the land came sliding down. I felt everything around me collapse,” she recalled, still visibly shaken. In those terrifying moments, she was buried completely, with no escape, no light, and barely any air.
“I couldn’t move my legs. My body was stuck. I couldn’t scream because there was no one to hear me. I only told myself one thing — ‘I have to come out alive.’”
What followed was a gut-wrenching battle of survival. Using only her bare hands, Tuneja scraped away mud and stones, just enough to create a small breathing space. Every second was a fight—against fear, suffocation, and the crushing weight of the debris. Outside, her family and villagers searched desperately, calling her name, unaware that she was just beneath their feet, trapped and barely clinging to life.
For five hours, Tuneja remained under the landslide, refusing to give in. Eventually, her cries were faintly heard, and her parents pulled her out alive. She had survived what most would not even imagine.
A Story of Unbreakable Willpower
The tragic landslides and flash floods across Himachal claimed many lives, damaged homes, and displaced families. But Tuneja’s story became a rare moment of light in an otherwise grim situation. Leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties, including Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and Jai Ram Thakur, personally met her and commended her as a symbol of courage.
Officials and rescuers said her survival was nothing short of a miracle. Doctors confirmed she had minor injuries and trauma but was recovering steadily.
The Face of Strength in Disaster
As the state battles the aftermath of one of its worst flood-related disasters in recent history, Tuneja Thakur’s name is being spoken across Himachal as a symbol of human resilience. Her story is a reminder of the incredible power of will, even in the face of certain death.
“I don’t know how I made it through. I just kept telling myself—’If I stop, I die.'”