A director in Nepal has been praised for saving the lives of around 900 students after evacuating them just 10 minutes before devastating floods hit their school.
Rajendra Dawadi, principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli High School in Nuwakot district, said he received several warnings about impending flooding around 9:10 a.m. 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 ordered buses carrying students to turn around and leave the area.
He said the quick decision was crucial and warned that if the evacuation had been delayed by just 10 minutes, many of the students and staff may 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 when floods swept through the area.
One of the students, Yunisha Amatya, 16, said she and her friends escaped moments before the flood hit.
He recalled that the students were initially studying in their classrooms and did not immediately understand the seriousness of the situation. Teachers later warned them to evacuate, prompting the students to climb uphill on a narrow route behind the school.
Yunisha said the situation became chaotic as people rushed to safety and some were reportedly swept away while trying to escape via other routes.
The flood also destroyed parts of the surrounding Trishuli Bazaar and engulfed a hostel building located about 100 meters from the river.
Initially, the students and teachers climbed several hundred meters uphill before reaching a neighboring village. With roads closed and transportation disrupted, many were stranded for two nights before rescue teams reached them.
Yunisha’s father, Yubaraj Amatya, described the fear he experienced when he was unable to contact his daughter by phone after hearing about the flood.
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He ran towards the school and found much of the Trishuli Bazaar razed. For almost an hour she did not know if her daughter had survived.
Finally, Yunisha answered his call from higher ground, bringing relief to his family.
The director said stronger warning systems, including sirens and evacuation alerts, could have helped residents 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.
“If I had decided to close the school after class, maybe there would be nothing left, just the bell ringing at 9:30,” he said.
(BBC News)
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