This Principal's Quick Call Saved 1,600 Students From Nepal's Flood

A school principal in Nepal is being hailed a hero after saving 1,600 students from last week's deadly flooding event. Read on for the details of how this principal acted quickly to save hundreds of students from the impending disaster.

School Principal Credited with Saving Hundreds of Lives in Nepal Flood

While most of the news coming out of Nepal this week is tragic, there are also stories of hope in the face of disaster. Rajendra Dawabi, principal of the Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Trishuli Bazaar, Nepal, is being credited with safely evacuating and saving over 1,600 students in the moments before the building was overcome by floodwaters.

Dawabi received a phone call on Wednesday at 9:20 am from a panicked friend located about five miles upstream on the Trishuli River. Dawadi told the media that his friend warned him that the village was buried by the floodwaters and resulting mudslide. According to Dawadi, his friend told him to run to safety.

Just as Dawabi was considering how to act, a parent ran into his office telling him that the water was rising fast. Dawabi immediately rang the school bell, instructing the 900 students and teachers to race to higher ground. Another 700 students were on the way to school on buses. Dawabi called this group and urged them to turn back. One of the buses drove across a bridge in the moments before it collapsed.

Dawabi made the right decision. The school was destroyed in an instant by the roaring floodwaters that went on to devastate this region of Asia.

Dawabi Insists He is Not a Hero

Despite being praised for his quick thinking, Dawabi insists that he is not a hero, saying, "What else could I do?" The principal told the press that "We all climbed uphill, and when we looked back, we saw the whole school was washed away."

Search and rescue crews are still on the scene near the border of Nepal and China looking for survivors amidst the total devastation. As of late Monday, the death toll from last week's flooding event is at 955. Local officials warn that this number is sure to rise, as there are still 4,471 people unaccounted for in Nepal and China.

The flooding has been blamed on a glacier collapse in the mountainous region.  Mother Nature is not dealing any favors as the search and rescue effort continues. The forecast is calling for more rain in Gyirong, resulting in a heightened risk of water levels in a barrier lake rising. Officials are also warning that there is the chance that other glaciers near the flood zone could collapse.

Weather changes fast, so help your community stay prepared. Share this story with friends, family, or your group chat, and keep your forecast in the now with Weather Forecast Now.