A head teacher in Nepal has been praised for saving the lives of about 900 students after evacuating them just 10 minutes before devastating floods struck their school.
Rajendra Dawadi, head teacher of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot district, said he received several warnings about an approaching flood at around 09:10 local time.
After receiving four phone calls within minutes, Dawadi quickly ordered the students to leave the school and move to higher ground. He also instructed buses carrying students to turn around and leave the area.
He said the quick decision was crucial, warning that if the evacuation had been delayed by just 10 minutes, many of the students and staff might not have survived.
The floods, which have devastated parts of Nepal, have killed at least 794 people and left thousands missing. The school building was later buried under mud and debris as floodwaters swept through the area.
One of the students, 16-year-old Yunisha Amatya, said she and her friends escaped only moments before the flood arrived.
She recalled that students were initially studying in their classrooms and did not immediately understand the seriousness of the situation. Teachers later warned them to evacuate, prompting students to scramble uphill through a narrow route behind the school.
Yunisha said the situation became chaotic as people rushed to safety, with some reportedly being swept away while attempting to escape through other routes.
The flood also destroyed parts of the surrounding Trishuli Bazaar and engulfed a hostel building located about 100 metres from the river.
Students and teachers initially moved several hundred metres uphill before travelling to a neighbouring village. With roads cut off and transport disrupted, many were stranded for two nights before rescue teams reached them.
Yunisha’s father, Yubaraj Amatya, described the fear he experienced when he could not reach his daughter by phone after hearing about the flooding.
He rushed towards the school and found much of Trishuli Bazaar swept away. For nearly an hour, he did not know whether his daughter had survived.
Eventually, Yunisha answered his call from higher ground, bringing relief to her family.
The head teacher said stronger warning systems, including sirens and evacuation alerts, could have helped residents n respond more quickly.
However, he believes the warnings he received and his decision to act immediately prevented the disaster from becoming a much larger tragedy.
“Had I decided to close the school after the period, nothing might be left, only the bell would be ringing at 9:30,” he said.
(BBC News)
