In brief
On 30 August 2026, Deputy District Officer Rajendra Dawadi of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School coordinated an evacuation that saved 900 children from the catastrophic Nepal floods. The head teacher received multiple warnings at 9:10 am and ordered students and buses to move to higher ground. Eyewitness accounts confirm that pupils scrambled uphill, using narrow ladders and hidden routes, just seconds before the river surged. Following the evacuation, teachers and students were stranded for two nights, but eventually airlifted back to safety. The event highlights the need for stronger early‑warning systems in flood‑prone regions.
Head teacher evacuates 900 pupils minutes before Nepal floods hit school
By Ashok Dahal and Kamal Pariyar – Nuwakot district
When four urgent calls reached him at 9:10 a.m. local time on August 30, dean Rajendra Dawadi knew the river was about to flood his village. He led a mass evacuation of 900 pupils, signs, teachers and buses, all moving to higher ground within the next ten minutes.
“If we didn’t act quickly, it would have been impossible to reach you today,” the head teacher said. His decision averted a potential mass tragedy in a region where the floods have already claimed at least 794 lives.
Inside the affected school, many students were initially unaware of the danger. Pupil Yunisha Amatya, 16, described how she and friends scrambled uphill through alleyways, using a narrow ladder behind the school and earning their escape only ten seconds before the waters rose. She praised her friends’ support and the swift evacuation orchestrated by her head teacher.
After the evacuation, teachers and students were stranded for two nights until rescue teams arrived, following road blockages and disrupted transport. Both the principal and surviving students were eventually airlifted back to their home village across the river.
Parents were frantic to locate their children; Yunisha’s mother, Sabina Kumari Shrestha, called multiple times but could not reach her daughter. Hopes were filled with relief when the call finally connected after three days.
Dawadi stresses that better warning systems, such as sirens and timely evacuation alerts, could further protect communities. However, he believes his ignition of the evacuation prevented a catastrophe.
Related topics: Neap, Floods
