New Delhi

While heartbreaking scenes of families desperately searching for loved ones missing in Nepal’s devastating flash floods have emerged, stories of courage and presence of mind have also offered a glimmer of hope amid the tragedy.

One such story is that of Rajendra Dawadi, principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot, whose swift action saved the lives of 1,643 children when a massive flash flood swept through the area.

Dawadi, 47, has since been hailed as a hero on social media for taking a critical decision within minutes of receiving a warning that an upstream village had been swept away by the river.

He immediately rang the school bell and ordered teachers to evacuate the students to higher ground. He also called the drivers of the school buses that were on their way and instructed them not to come to the school.

“Don’t come here. Go back,” he told them.

How a headmaster, Rajendra Dadabi, saved the lives of 1643 kids through his decisive leadership and presence of mind in a school in Trishuli, Nepal devastated by the flash floods! 🙏pic.twitter.com/cQs7lnXPhA

— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) August 30, 2026

One bus, however, was already approaching the school. Dawadi spotted it nearing a bridge and signalled the driver to turn back. The bus reversed just moments before the bridge collapsed under the force of the floodwaters.

Soon afterwards, the torrent reached the school. The three-storey building was swept away, leaving virtually no trace of the structure. But all 1,643 students were safe.

The disaster, triggered by a sudden release of water, ice, rock and debris following a glacier-related collapse in the Himalayan region, caused widespread destruction across Nepal and neighbouring Tibet. Reports at the time of writing put the death toll in Nepal at more than 700, with thousands of people still missing. Another 16 people were reported dead in Tibet.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of two members of the school staff. Social studies teacher Santos Pariyar, 32, was swept away after returning to his rented room near the river, while school janitor Sultan Lama was killed after going back to close the school doors.

Dawadi later told BBC Nepali that the decision had to be taken without hesitation.

“If we didn't make a quick decision, if it were 10 minutes later, we all, including the students and me, wouldn't be able to speak to you today,” he said.

The principal’s decision was reinforced when a parent arrived at the school and warned that the floodwaters were rising rapidly.

“Parents don't rush without a strong reason, so it was confirmed that I shouldn't waste a second to evacuate the children,” Dawadi said.

“I decided I shouldn't delay any more. Even if the flood was not coming, it was just a matter of a single day's classes.”

The students were moved to safety as the floodwaters surged through the area. Some fled on foot while others were helped to higher ground. They eventually took shelter beneath a bodhi tree as the waters swept through the school and surrounding buildings.

Local residents who witnessed the devastation said the school building, a nearby market and other structures had stood at the site only hours earlier.

Dawadi, however, remains modest about his role.

“I feel proud that we saved so many lives,” he said.

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His actions have since become one of the most striking stories of courage emerging from a disaster that has claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands of families searching for missing relatives. At a time when every second mattered, the principal’s decision to put the safety of his students above everything else ensured that a potential mass-casualty tragedy at the school was averted.