Culture & Entertainment · Singapore Bureau
Timely flood alert spares 900 Nepali students from disaster
A last-minute warning allowed school officials in central Nepal to evacuate nearly 900 students and staff to safety before floodwaters struck their institution. The rapid response is being credited with preventing what could have been a major tragedy.
LSN Singapore ·
Officials at a school in Bidur, Nepal's Nuwakot district, managed to evacuate 900 students and 16 faculty members to higher ground after receiving an urgent alert about approaching floodwaters last Wednesday. Headmaster Rajendra Dawadi said his accountant burst into his office with a dire warning that enabled the school to act swiftly. The timely evacuation meant all occupants had reached safety before the floods inundated the area. The incident underscores the critical importance of early warning systems and rapid communication in disaster-prone regions, particularly during monsoon season when Nepal regularly faces severe flooding and landslides. Local authorities have not yet provided details about the extent of damage caused by the flooding or whether other communities in the area were similarly affected. The successful evacuation has drawn attention to community-based alert mechanisms that can complement official warning systems in vulnerable areas.