Minutes to spare: How Teachers Saved 400 Students from Nepal Flood

Sep 01, 2026

Dhading (Nepal), September 01 (ANI): Almost a week after the devastating flood, Binita Ramtel returned to her school with a friend to see the damage. The playground where she once played and attended morning assembly is now buried under sand, while her classroom is almost completely covered. On August 26, Binita had arrived at school with her friends and was preparing for assembly when teachers suddenly told the students to run to higher ground. The flood reached Baireni after 9 AM, around the time students usually gather for the morning assembly. Bags left on classroom desks show how suddenly the students had to flee. When Binita and her friend Prasamsha Magar checked the bags, they found them damp, with food still inside the tiffin boxes. Baireni town along the Prithvi Highway was swept by floodwaters on Wednesday, leaving sludge and sand deposits up to two metres above the river level. The school, located beside the river, managed to save around 400 students after teachers received an early warning from a guardian living upstream. Mud markings on the school walls show the flood’s devastating water level, while the prompt action of teachers helped save many students. With mud and sludge still covering the premises and a foul smell lingering, it remains uncertain when the school will reopen.