Last Wednesday, on August 26th, Nepal and Tibet border were hit by catastrophic floods. One school in Nepal was located in one of the hardest-hit areas. Fortunately, a group of students from the school had just left the classroom to have lunch, thus escaping the disaster.
According to the report from the Associated Press, the school is located in Dhading district. In the moments before the flood rushed in, teachers timely notified the students to evacuate quickly, leading to the successful escape of other classes of students as well.
“The teacher at that time said, ‘There’s a flood, leave your backpacks and lunch boxes behind,'” said Lakshmi Shrestha, the mother of a student at the school. “That’s how they escaped the disaster.”
On Sunday, Shrestha and other mothers returned to the school with their children, attempting to retrieve the items of their children and see what could still be salvaged. According to the families, the vast majority of students at the school seem to have survived the flood.
Thick brownish-gray mud covered desks, chairs, walls, and notebooks. The school ground was also piled with a large amount of sand. The water level marks on the walls illustrated the height of the rising flood. Mud-splattered little backpacks were scattered on desks, chairs, and the floor, some of which still had colorful keychains attached, waiting to be claimed by their owners.
Although Kopila Mizar, a parent of a student, could not find her son’s backpack, she remained optimistic.
She said, “My son is alive, that’s my greatest happiness.”
The non-profit organization Save the Children stated that in the severely affected regions of Nepal, at least 69 schools have been destroyed or damaged, putting nearly 19,000 children at risk of dropping out. The organization pointed out that as rescue teams reach more disaster-stricken areas, these numbers could further rise.
Previously, heavy rainfall triggered severe flash floods and landslides, sweeping through parts of the country. The government promptly ordered a three-day closure of schools and universities, with university exams also being suspended.
Communities across different areas continue to receive flood warnings, with authorities advising people to move to higher ground and safer areas. It remains unclear when classes can resume.
On Sunday, the Nepal Disaster Management Department reported that the death toll had risen to 788 people, with 2,502 people missing.
Among the missing individuals are hundreds of people from over a dozen countries who were previously working, trekking, or on pilgrimages in the region.