Kathmandu - In a daring rescue that captivated the entire country, a 13-year-old Nepalese boy Wednesday saved a baby girl stuck in a ravine 24-metres deep.

The rescue bid was broadcast live on television after 2-and-half-year-old baby girl Aradhana Pradhan fell on Tuesday evening into a narrow ravine in Pokhara city, about 200 kilometres north-west from capital Kathmandu.

Police and the army rescue teams, supported by locals, tried to pull her out of the ravine, but were unable to reach the toddler, as the crevice was too narrow for adults to enter.

On Wednesday morning the rescuers had managed to lower some food and a close-circuit camera down the narrow hole.

"When all hopes were fading, and the girl's cries were no longer heard, 13-year-old Kamal Nepali volunteered to be lowered into the ravine," the Nepalese TV station Kantipur Television said.

"The boy was strapped into a harness and lowered and was able to pull out the baby alive," Kantipur reported.

Pradhan was rushed to hospital after her rescue. She had suffered only minor bruises, but was kept in hospital to check whether she sustained internal injuries.

It was believed the girl fell into the ravine after following her father who had gone to the area on Tuesday afternoon. (dpa)