A critical last-minute flood warning in July 2023 successfully evacuated over 900 students and 16 teachers and staff from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Bidur, Nuwakot, Nepal, just moments before a devastating flash flood struck.
Principal Rajendra Dawadi of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School received an urgent alert from the school’s accountant, who had been contacted by a relative in Rasuwa, an area already impacted by the rapidly advancing floodwaters from the Trishuli River.
This crucial communication provided approximately 14 minutes for the school to initiate an emergency evacuation.
Dawadi immediately halted classes, rang the school bell to alert students, and redirected school buses to safer locations away from the impending danger.
Out of the school’s total 1,600 students, over 900 were on campus when the warning arrived, with some picked up by parents on motorcycles, while others boarded buses or ran to higher ground.
Minutes after the evacuation was completed, a massive flood surged through the area; Principal Dawadi recounted that as the last bus crossed a newly constructed bridge, the old bridge collapsed, and the school building itself was completely swept away, its former location now consumed by the river.
However, not everyone received sufficient warning, as a school staff member and the accountant’s mother were reported missing after the incident.
The accountant, after alerting the school, rushed home to rescue his parents, successfully saving his father but losing their house to the floodwaters when he returned for his mother.
In the aftermath, Principal Dawadi appealed to authorities for the urgent reconstruction of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in a more secure, elevated location, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of educational institutions in flood-prone regions of Nepal.
This incident underscores the severe impact of Nepal’s annual monsoon season, which frequently triggers devastating floods and landslides, particularly along major river systems like the Trishuli, emphasizing the vital role of community-level early warning systems in mitigating disaster.