Headteacher Evacuates 900 Students Minutes Before Nepal Floods Devastate School

In the early morning of 28 August, Rajendra Dawadi, the headteacher of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, received four urgent phone calls warning of an imminent flood that would later claim at least 794 lives in the region.

Within ten minutes of the first alert, Dawadi issued a rapid evacuation order, directing students to higher ground and instructing transport buses to turn back. His decisive action meant that when the waters surged, the school was empty, sparing 900 pupils from potential death.

Witnesses, including 16‑year‑old pupil Yunisha Amatya, recounted scrambling up the school’s escape route in seconds before the flood. In stark contrast, many classmates sensed the danger but initially underestimated the threat, leading to chaos when the teacher finally called for an evacuation.

The flood’s rapid advance engulfed the nearby hostel building and overwhelmed the fragile community, causing roads to collapse and isolating the school and its nearby bazaar for two nights. Despite the challenges, students and teachers reached a neighboring village, and both the principal and Amatya were eventually airlifted back to their village across the river.

The incident has prompted calls for improved warning systems in Nepal, with Dawadi emphasizing that better sirens and early alerts could prevent future tragedies. Yet, many credit his quick judgment with averting a catastrophic loss.