Miracle in Nuwakot Valley: Principal’s Bell Rings in Time, 1,643 Lives Saved Amid Nepal Disaster

Moments before the catastrophic deluge of raging waters wreaked havoc all around, one man’s swift decision gave life to over a thousand teenagers. Amid the horror of the flash flood in the Trishuli Valley of Nuwakot district in neighbouring Nepal, the timely action of 47-year-old Rajendra Dawadi, Headmaster and English teacher of Tribhuvan Trishuli Higher Secondary School, ensured the safety of 1,643 students.

According to details of the incident, at around 9:20 am on Wednesday, the headmaster received news from a friend that a nearby village had been washed away by the rising river water. Although he initially thought that the three-storey concrete school building, located about 60 metres above the river, was safe, a guardian informed him that the water was rising rapidly.

Sensing danger, Dawadi immediately rang the school bell and instructed the teachers to get all the students out of the classrooms. Simultaneously, he contacted the bus drivers and asked them to send the buses back. The students started running uphill on foot, and when one girl student fell ill, she was taken to a safe place with the help of a motorcycle. Finally, all the students took shelter under a banyan tree on top of the hill.

Shortly after the students left the place, a torrent of mud, ice and stones came down and devastated the school building and bridges. Fortunately, all 1,643 students survived, but unfortunately, two employees of the school lost their lives.

32-year-old teacher Santosh Pariyar, who had returned to his rented house near the river to cook morning meals, and cleaning staff Sultan Lama, who had gone to close the school doors, were swept away by the strong current.

It is to be noted that this unprecedented flash flood was caused by a huge mass of ice and rock falling from the Langtang Lirung peak on the Nepal-Tibet border into the riverbed. In this catastrophic disaster, 768 people have died in Nepal so far and more than 2,500 people are missing. In Tibet, 16 people have died and 546 are reported missing.

Several hydropower projects have also been damaged in this flood and more than 100 workers are reported to be trapped inside tunnels. India has sent an 11-member and China a 9-member special rescue team to assist in the rescue operation.