School principal hails hero for timely action that saved 1,643 school students from Nepal floods | Today’s news
The devastating flash floods in Nepal that occurred on the morning of Wednesday August 26 shocked the world after raging waters swept away buildings, houses, trees and everything in their path, leaving hundreds dead. The presence of the school principal significantly reduced the number of victims.
The three-story school building that stood in the way of the strong current was completely swept away, leaving no trace of it. However, all 1643 students of this school survived the disaster thanks to the quick thinking of the school principal. Let’s find out how Ravindra Dadabi’s quick response to the tragedy saved the students.
Times journalist Chris Haslam described how Dadabi was able to avert disaster just in time. The flood-ravaged school was located near the Trashuli River in Battar area of Nuwakot district. When Dadabi learned of the flash floods ravaging the region, he immediately “rang the bell, sent pupils and staff to higher ground and even had the presence of mind to call the drivers of the arriving buses and tell them to come back,” Chris Haslam said.
On the fateful day, when the school was just about to start, flood waves up to 30 meters high and gusting at 75 kilometers per hour rushed around the bend where the school was located. Two bridges and all the houses that stood on the banks of the river were destroyed, including the headmaster’s house.
‘He told me to run’
When Rajendra Dadabi’s friend Betrawati, who lived five miles upstream, alerted him to the wild flow of the river, 700 students were on their way by foot and bus. “He said the village was gone, taken by the river,” The Times quoted Dadabi as saying. He added: “He told me to run.”
After the emergency call, Dadabi acted quickly. Recounting the day’s events, the 47-year-old English teacher said: “I got to all but one of the drivers and told them to turn back. Then I saw a bus I couldn’t connect with coming over the bridge. The water was already in the school grounds – it was so fast – so I told him to turn around. He got to the other side just as the bridge collapsed.”
Apart from the loss of one teacher, Dadabi’s ingenuity saved the lives of 1,643 children and all other members of the teaching staff. After this incident, he was hailed as a hero by the Nepalese. The death toll from the catastrophic flash floods has risen to at least 734, with nearly 3,000 missing, according to Nepalese police.
