Miraculous survival: Baby recovered from rubble

A photo of a baby boy being pulled from the rubble of the Nepal earthquake has become the defining image of a disaster that has devastated the country, reports the news agency CNN.

His tiny face is coated in dust from the debris that crashed around him as the earth shook on Saturday, April 25, killing more than 5,000 people and injuring at least twice as many more.

His name is Sonit Awal, and he's just four months old.

On Saturday, Sonit was at home in Muldhoka, Bhaktapur, east of the capital Kathmandu, when the 7.8-magnitude quake sent tremors through Nepal and neighboring countries, according to Kathmandu Today.

His rescuers held him high in their hands to the sun, though his eyes were still wedged tightly shut.

Sonit's face was exposed during the whole ordeal, though a hooded top and shawl protected his head and body during the cold night spent under rubble.

The baby was taken to Bhaktapur Hospital and found to be uninjured;

His unlikely rescue provides some hope to a country that has experienced so much loss.