Rajendra Dawadi's quick decisions reportedly saved 1,643 students when a devastating glacier-triggered flash flood swept through Nepal's Trishuli Valley.

A routine school morning turned into a desperate race for survival when a massive glacier-triggered flash flood tore through Nepal's Trishuli Valley, sending water, ice, rocks and mud surging through villages.

At the centre of the dramatic rescue was Rajendra Dawadi, a 47-year-old English teacher and principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, whose split-second decisions reportedly helped save the lives of 1,643 children.

According to reports, the disaster struck at around 9:20 am on a Wednesday, when nearly 900 students were attending the school's early shift while hundreds of other children were travelling to the campus on foot and by school buses.

A Phone Call That Triggered the Evacuation

Dawadi reportedly received a frantic phone call from a friend in Betrawati, located several kilometres upstream. His friend warned him that their village had been devastated by the rapidly advancing flood and urged him to escape immediately.

Initially, Dawadi believed the three-storey concrete school building was safe because it stood around 60 metres above the riverbed. However, the situation changed within moments when a panicked parent arrived at the school and confirmed that floodwaters were rising at an alarming speed.

Without waiting for official instructions, Dawadi immediately rang the school bell and ordered teachers to evacuate the classrooms.

Principal Calls School Buses Back

As students and teachers began moving out of the building, Dawadi turned his attention to school buses travelling towards the campus.

He reportedly contacted the drivers and instructed them to turn back. Most buses carrying students managed to change direction, but one bus could not initially be reached.

Dawadi then spotted the final bus crossing a steel bridge towards the school.

With floodwaters already entering the school परिसर, he shouted and signalled desperately to the driver to turn around. The bus reportedly reversed and escaped to safety shortly before the bridge was swept away by the raging river.

Children Run Uphill as School Is Destroyed

Panic spread as students began fleeing the campus. Teachers and school staff helped children move uphill towards safer ground.

One young girl reportedly suffered a severe panic attack during the evacuation and was taken up the slope on a motorbike.

Dawadi and his colleagues continued guiding the remaining students uphill. The children eventually reached higher ground and took shelter beneath a sacred bodhi tree.

Moments later, the powerful flood swept through the area and reportedly destroyed the three-storey school complex, leaving behind a landscape covered in thick grey mud.

Two School Staff Members Lost Their Lives

While the evacuation reportedly saved hundreds of students, the disaster brought devastating losses to the school community.

Two staff members were reported dead.

Santos Pariyar, 32, a newly appointed social history teacher, had reportedly returned to his riverside accommodation after conducting an early class when he was swept away by the flood.

The school's janitor, Sultan Lama, also reportedly lost his life after returning towards the school area.

Despite being praised as a hero for his actions, Dawadi remained focused on the tragedy surrounding him.

Standing near the ruins of the school he once led, the grieving principal reportedly asked a simple question about his actions that morning: What else could I do?

His quick decision to sound the alarm, evacuate classrooms, stop incoming buses and lead students to higher ground has emerged as one of the most remarkable stories of courage and leadership from Nepal's devastating flash flood disaster.