Ahead of a devastating flood, head teacher Rajendra Dawadi made the difficult decision to evacuate 900 students from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School.

The Floodwaters Were Rising Fast

According to Yunisha Amatya, a 16-year-old student who was evacuated along with her friends, 'Just before the flood came, we were in the class studying. Teachers had gathered in one place and initially had no idea what had happened.'

Yunisha and her friends scrambled uphill through an escape route behind the school as the floodwaters rose rapidly.

'I could not walk fast, and my friends helped me to climb uphill,' Yunisha said. 'We tried our best to be in the safer zones then. We escaped through a narrow ladder from backside of the school.'

With roads cut off and transport disrupted, many students remained stranded for two nights before rescue efforts reached them.

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Airlifted to Safety

The principal and Yunisha, who both live across the river from the school, were eventually airlifted back to their home village.

Yunisha's husband, Yubaraj Amatya, immediately headed towards the school after receiving a call from his daughter, who had been evacuated along with her friends.

'Within a few minutes I rushed toward my daughter's school and Trishuli Bazar was all swept,' he said. 'I was so horrified, stopped my scooter, there was flooding but I could not think of returning without my daughter.'

Warning Systems Lacked

Head teacher Dawadi believes better warning systems, including sirens and evacuation alerts, could have helped residents respond sooner.

'Had I decided to close the school after the period, nothing might be left, only the bell would be ringing at 9:30,' he said.