10 minutes before disaster: school principal in Nepal saved 900 students from a devastating flood - VIDEO
The principal of a school in Nepal's Nuwakot district evacuated 900 students just 10 minutes before torrents of water hit the town.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, school principal Rajendra Dawadi said that within a few minutes he received four calls warning of the danger, after which he decided to evacuate the children immediately. He told the students to run to higher ground and also ordered that the buses carrying children leave the area. "If we had not made the decision quickly, if just 10 minutes had passed, none of us would have been able to speak with you today," the principal added.
Because roads were blocked and transportation links were disrupted, many teachers and students waited for help for two nights before rescuers reached them. Those living on the opposite bank of the river from the school were taken to their homes by helicopter.
The natural disaster occurred in northern Nepal on the morning of August 26. According to preliminary data, the flood was caused by an avalanche on the border with China, about 20 km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. A powerful flow of rock traveled more than 70 km along the riverbed at enormous speed, destroying nearby settlements and flooding a large area. According to the latest data, at least 919 people have died and around 2,000 are listed as missing.
