Head teacher evacuated 900 children minutes before Nepal floods hit school
Rajendra Dawadi leapt into action after receiving warnings over waters heading towards his school.
A headteacher evacuated 900 children from a school in Nepal just minutes before devastating floods struck, potentially saving their lives. Rajendra Dawadi, the head of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, received warnings of the disaster at 09:10 local time (03:25 GMT) and quickly decided to evacuate the pupils to higher ground, ordering buses to turn around and flee the area.
Dawadi emphasized that he felt proud of saving so many lives, as the floods ultimately claimed at least 794 lives and left 2,426 people missing. The floods swept away the school building, burying it under mud and debris, and stranded students and teachers for two nights before rescue efforts reached them. Dawadi believes that better warning systems could have helped residents respond sooner, but he believes his immediate evacuation prevented a catastrophe.
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