Nepali Headmaster Saves 900 Students From Flash Flood
A Nepali headmaster's swift decision saved the lives of 900 students before a devastating flash flood struck. The disaster has already caused at least 903 deaths and left thousands missing across the region.
On August 27 in Nuwakot district, Trishuli, Nepal, a catastrophic natural disaster unfolded as sudden mountain flash floods and thick mud-debris swept through the area, completely burying homes and surrounding infrastructure. Amidst the chaos of the unfolding crisis, 900 students at the Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School faced immediate danger because the educational institution is located only about 100 meters away from the river.
Headmaster Rajendra Dawadi received a crucial warning phone call and took immediate action at exactly 9:10 on Wednesday morning. Recognizing the severity of the incoming threat, he decided to evacuate the entire student body without delay, moving all 900 children to higher ground before the raging waters could engulf the campus. Reflecting on the harrowing rescue operation, Rajendra Dawadi stated, “If we had not made a quick decision, or if we had been delayed by even another 10 minutes, neither I nor any of the students would be talking to you right now.”
The headmaster later emphasized that he chose not to hesitate, noting that even if the flash flood had ultimately proven to be a false alarm, the cost would have been at most a single day of canceled classes. “I am proud to have been able to save so many lives,” Rajendra Dawadi added, underscoring the gravity of his split-second choice. Unisha Amatya, a student caught in the terrifying sequence of events, described the narrow escape by stating, “Because of just 10 seconds, my friends and I survived with our lives.”
Parents outside the school grounds experienced agonizing moments of uncertainty and terror as the disaster struck. One parent rushed toward the facility, shouting, “A big flood is rushing in. I have come to take my daughter.” Yuvaraj Amatya, another anxious parent, recalled hearing about the mud-flow spreading and immediately attempting to reach his daughter by phone, only to find she was unreachable. “I was terribly frightened. Within a few minutes, I rushed towards my daughter’s school. When I arrived, I saw that Trishuli market was completely flooded. At that moment, I thought my daughter might not be alive anymore. I was very terrified. I stopped my scooter. Water was everywhere, but I could not bear the thought of returning without my daughter,” Yuvaraj Amatya said.
The intense panic finally subsided when communication was briefly restored during the frantic rescue efforts. “Finally, my daughter answered the phone. I could not control myself, I started crying. Two relatives who were with me also started crying and hugged me,” Yuvaraj Amatya recounted. Sabina Kumari Shrestha was also documented among the individuals connected to these events, while international news agencies including the BBC, Reuters, and AFP monitored the unfolding tragedy.
The broader humanitarian toll of the disaster in Nepal has proven to be immense and devastating. According to confirmed figures stemming from the catastrophic mountain floods, at least 903 people have lost their lives, while another 4,247 individuals remain officially missing as search and rescue operations continue in the affected districts.
