A headteacher in Nepal’s Nuwakot district evacuated 1,600 students from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School 10 minutes before flash floods destroyed the building, according to multiple reports. The school, located 200 feet above the Trishuli River, was completely swept away by the disaster, which has left at least 794 dead and 2,426 missing across Nepal and Tibet. Officials warn the death toll may rise as rescue teams reach more areas.
Immediate evacuation averts disaster
Rajendra Dawadi, the school’s headteacher, received four separate warnings at 9:10 AM local time on Wednesday, including a direct alert from a parent. He ordered students to evacuate to higher ground and instructed buses transporting additional students to turn back immediately. Dawadi told the BBC: “If we didn’t make a quick decision, if it was 10 minutes later, we all—including the students and me—wouldn’t be able to speak to you today.”
Students and teachers described the rapid onset of the flood, which engulfed a nearby hostel building within minutes. Sixteen-year-old student Yunisha Amatya said she and her friends escaped “by just 10 seconds” as water surged into the school grounds. “Just before the flood came, we were in the class studying. Teachers had gathered in one place and initially had no idea what had happened,” she told the BBC.
Schools across Nepal face destruction
The floods, triggered by torrential rains and landslides, have damaged or destroyed at least 69 schools in Nepal’s worst-hit districts, disrupting education for nearly 19,000 children, according to Save the Children. The government ordered all schools and universities to shut for three days, and university exams were paused. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as communities remain on high alert for further flooding.
In the Dhading district, another school was partially submerged, forcing students to return to mud-filled classrooms to retrieve belongings. Thick layers of sediment coated desks, walls, and notebooks, with water lines visible on the walls showing how quickly the floodwaters rose. Parents, including Lakshmi Shrestha, described how teachers’ warnings allowed most children to escape. “The teachers said, ‘There is a flood and you should leave bags and tiffins,’” she said. “That’s how they managed to survive.”
Long-term impact on education and communities
The disaster has left thousands of children without access to education, with officials unsure when schools can reopen. Save the Children reported that nearly 19,000 children are affected, and the number is expected to rise as more areas are assessed. The government has urged residents in flood-prone zones to relocate to higher ground until the situation stabilizes.
Dawadi, who has been praised for his decisive action, said he felt “proud that we saved so many lives.” The school’s destruction underscores the vulnerability of infrastructure in the region, where hundreds of buildings have been swept away by the floods. Authorities continue to warn of possible fresh flooding as monsoon rains persist.