Major Tragedy Averted by Principal’s Prompt Action

A school in the Trishuli Valley of Nepal’s Nuwakot district was overwhelmed within minutes after a sudden flash flood struck the area. At the time, 1,643 students and teachers were present at Shree Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School. At around 9:20 a.m., principal Rajendra Dawadi received an urgent warning that an upstream village had been swept away. Acting immediately, he rang the school bell, evacuated the classrooms and moved the students towards higher ground. Buses were turned back, while a student who fainted in fear was taken to safety on a motorcycle. Dawadi remained at the back of the group to ensure that no child was left behind.

Minutes after everyone reached higher ground, the powerful floodwaters and debris engulfed the three-storey school building. Dawadi’s prompt response helped save all 1,643 students and staff members, although two school employees, history teacher Santosh Pariyar and watchman Sultan Lama, lost their lives. The disaster was triggered by a massive flow of water, ice, rocks and mud after a landslide and snow-related event in the Himalayan region near the Nepal-Tibet border. By taking the warning seriously and acting without delay, Dawadi prevented what could have been a much larger tragedy.