Nuwakot principal evacuates 1,600 students minutes before devastating flood

Nuwakot, August 31, 2026 — Rajendra Dawadi, principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, evacuated about 1,600 students just minutes before a devastating flood swept through the area, a decision that helped protect students and staff from the disaster.

Dawadi received warnings that a major flood was approaching as the disaster unfolded last week. A parent also arrived at the school to collect a daughter, reinforcing the urgency of the situation.

Rather than wait for further confirmation, Dawadi ordered the students to leave the school and move to safer ground. He later told the BBC that even a delay of around 10 minutes could have had fatal consequences for students and staff.

The decision proved critical. The flood subsequently swept through the area and destroyed the school building. Local resident Surinder told ABC that the three-storey school building, which stood near a temple and a market, was completely swept away.

Dawadi said he was proud that the decision to evacuate the students had helped save so many lives.

A similar situation unfolded at Shree Bagheswori Secondary School in Galchhi, Dhading, where teachers also acted quickly as floodwaters approached.

Teachers instructed students to leave their classrooms shortly before the flooding occurred. Some students had already left their classrooms for lunch, while others were told to leave their bags and lunch boxes behind and move to safety.

After the flood, students and their families returned to the school to search through the mud for belongings that could be recovered. The classrooms and school grounds were covered with thick layers of mud and sediment, while schoolbags, notebooks and other materials were damaged or buried.

Despite the destruction, most students at the school survived. One parent, Kopila Mizar, said that finding her son alive mattered more than recovering his belongings.

The floods have also caused extensive damage to education infrastructure in the affected areas. Save the Children estimates that at least 69 schools in flood-hit districts have been destroyed or damaged, putting the education of nearly 19,000 children at risk.