Nepal floods: Stranger ran past school screaming ‘Run, water’. It saved 370 kids, teachers

Uttargaya Public School in Betrawati was caught off guard by a massive flood, as an anonymous man ran past the campus shouting "Run, water!" The warning allowed over 370 students and teachers to escape to the forested hills behind the school. The flood caught everyone by surprise, as there were no sirens, automated alerts, or official warnings beforehand.

Once the children began fleeing, older students from Grades 7 to 10 ran on their own, while teachers helped younger pupils navigate the mud. Some students, like Grade 10's Sujal Lama, initially underestimated the severity of the flood and only fled once they realized the river would rise significantly. Sujal spent the night in the forest before managing to return to the school with the help of teachers.

However, one family's attempt to reach the school ended in tragedy when a parent, Nawaraj Tamang, was swept away before he could find his Grade 10 son Ayush. Ayush managed to escape into the forest and survive. The school's vice-principal, Pawan Sharma, and teachers were scattered with groups of children as they struggled to reach higher ground, with many communication lines disrupted.

The school has managed to reunite around 25-30% of students with their families, but they are still working to locate the remaining pupils. The exact number of student fatalities from the Uttargaya Public School remains unknown.