Cyclone Dana: Woman carries elderly villager on her shoulders to safety. Viral video
Cyclone Dana: A video of an Asha worker carrying an elderly woman in Odisha has won people’s hearts.
People often display extraordinary acts of bravery in the face of peril. When confronted with natural calamities or dangerous situations, they step up with their acts of courage and selflessness. One such instance was captured on camera. It shows a woman walking on a muddy path with an elderly villager on her back. They are seen going towards a cyclone shelter ahead of Cyclone Dana, which made landfall in Odisha on Thursday.

“Hats off to our #Narishakti! ASHA worker Sibani Mandal from Khasmunda village of Rajnagar Block in #Kendrapara,#Odisha evacuated an elderly woman, carrying on her shoulder to a #Cyclone shelter,” PIB in Odisha shared on its official X page along with a video.
Who are Asha workers?
Accredited Social Health Activist or Asha workers are trained female community health activists who “work as an interface between the community and the public health system.” In 2022, at the 75th World Health Assembly, India’s ASHA workers were among the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award recipients. The acronym Asha also means “Hope” in Hindi.
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“ASHAs support maternal care and immunisation for children against vaccine-preventable diseases; tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, communicable disease prevention and control; and core areas of health promotion for nutrition, sanitation, and healthy living,” WHO wrote in an article on the activists.
Take a look at the woman's act here:
What did social media say?
Expectedly, the footage left people with a warm feeling in their hearts. Many urged the authorities to reward her for her gesture. One individual wrote, “She must be recognised and rewarded.” Another added, “Salute to her.” Others expressed this emotion, too.
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A third expressed, “She is the right example of an empowered woman.” A few also reacted using clapping or folded-hand emoticons. The video has been reshared across other social media platforms.
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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