Rajendra Dawadi was told on the morning of Wednesday, August 26, that a village upstream had been overwhelmed by floodwater. Within minutes, the principal ordered the evacuation of about 1,600 pupils from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nepal’s Nuwakot district.
The children were moved towards higher ground as the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems rose rapidly. Soon afterwards, the school buildings, which stood around 60 metres above the river, were destroyed by a torrent carrying mud, rocks and debris.
The school had 1,643 pupils enrolled up to Year 12. Around 900 children were already taking part in the morning session, while others were travelling to the site on foot or by bus when the warning reached Mr Dawadi.
Local reports said the principal and teachers directed the pupils away from the river and towards the surrounding hills. About 30 girls living in a nearby hostel were also evacuated safely.
Mr Dawadi later said that no pupils remained inside the school when the flood entered the grounds. He and fellow teacher Pradip Pandit were among the last to leave.
However, confusion remained over the whereabouts of some pupils and staff after they scattered while making their way to safety. A group of around 40 to 50 children, teachers and other workers became stranded on higher ground near Trishuli bazaar before being rescued several days later.
The principal said poor telephone coverage, power cuts and damaged communications had made it difficult to establish contact with families. Some parents reported that their children had returned home, while others were still waiting for confirmation.
The school’s three buses survived, but its main buildings were reduced to rubble. The nearby commercial area and residential settlements were also badly damaged.
The flooding formed part of a wider disaster along the Nepal-China border, where communities in Rasuwa and neighbouring districts were hit by sudden flash floods on August 26. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the event affected the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli corridor and surrounding areas on both sides of the border.
Preliminary assessments have linked the flooding to a major landslide or glacier-related collapse in the upper mountain region, although investigations into the precise cause have continued. The force of the water swept away roads, bridges, homes and infrastructure, leaving thousands of people cut off and prompting an extensive search for those missing.
At Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, the early warning and swift evacuation prevented the destruction of the buildings from becoming a far greater tragedy. The school’s future, however, remains uncertain, with pupils and staff left without their classrooms as rescue and recovery efforts continue across the region.
