According to BBC News and Kompas, Rajendra Dawadi, headmaster of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, evacuated 900 students just 10 minutes before a flash flood destroyed the campus, amid a national disaster that has left at least 794 dead and 2,426 missing.
Emergency Calls Spark 10-Minute Evacuation Warning
Rajendra Dawadi received four urgent phone calls at 09:10 local time warning of an impending flood according to BBC reports. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Dawadi immediately ordered students to run toward higher ground and instructed school buses to turn around before entering the danger zone.
“If we did not make the decision quickly, if it was even 10 minutes late, all of us, including the students and myself, would not be able to talk to you today,” Dawadi told BBC. One parent rushed to the school to rescue a daughter, reinforcing the headmaster’s decision to act instantly rather than wait.
Students Escape as Mud and Debris Bury the Campus
Water surged through the area so rapidly that a student dormitory located about 100 meters from the river was instantly submerged and swept away, according to BBC and Kompas coverage. Sixteen-year-old student Yunisha Amatya stated that she and her classmates escaped merely a few moments before the deluge struck the school grounds.
Many students initially underestimated the threat, lingering while classmates finished a math class, before teachers directed them toward evacuation paths. Amatya and her peers climbed a narrow back staircase behind the school, clinging to slippery terrain as the adjacent Trishuli market vanished beneath the rushing water.
Family Agony and Stranded Survivors Await Rescue
Following the evacuation, students and teachers retreated up the hills and eventually sheltered in a neighboring village. Due to severed roads and paralyzed transport, the group remained trapped for two days before rescue teams reached them, according to BBC accounts.
Parents endured agonizing hours without communication. Yubaraj Amatya, Yunisha’s father, rushed to the school only to find the Trishuli market already destroyed. For nearly an hour, he feared his daughter had perished before a phone call finally connected. “When my daughter finally picked up the phone, I could not hold back and I just wept,” Amatya told BBC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students were saved by the headmaster in Nepal?
Headmaster Rajendra Dawadi successfully evacuated 900 students from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School just 10 minutes before a flash flood struck, according to BBC and Kompas.
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What triggered the immediate school evacuation?
Dawadi acted after receiving four rapid phone warnings at 09:10 local time from parents reporting massive water volume surging down the river.
How many casualties did the Nepal flash floods cause?
National disaster reports cited by BBC and Kompas indicate the floods killed at least 794 people, with 2,426 individuals reported missing.
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