Rasuwa flood damages schools, strands students and teachers in Nepal

A sudden flood that swept into Nepal from Tibet on Wednesday morning has caused significant damage to schools in the Rasuwa district, disrupting classes and leaving authorities struggling to assess the full extent of the destruction. Communication with several affected areas has been cut off, hindering efforts to determine the impact.

Preliminary information suggests at least six schools in Rasuwa have been affected, with the Gosainkunda Rural Municipality reporting the most damage. Timure Community School in Timure suffered major damage, though the exact extent, including whether parts of the building collapsed or were swept away, remains unclear. Another school in Uttargaya Rural Municipality was also damaged, with students reportedly escaping to safety. Two boarding schools and two community schools in the Timure area are also believed to have been swept away.

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We have been unable to find out about the damage because there is no phone or internet. We cannot contact anyone. There is no electricity, telephone or internet.

Durga Prasad Silwal, head of the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Rasuwa, traveled to Nuwakot after communication with the district was severed. "We have been unable to find out about the damage because there is no phone or internet. We cannot contact anyone. There is no electricity, telephone or internet," Silwal told Onlinekhabar, adding that he had to travel six hours to Nuwakot to establish contact.

In Nuwakot, authorities are facing the difficult task of reuniting students with their families. Classes were in session when the flood struck, preventing many children from returning home. "It got late. The children were at school and the parents were at home. When you imagine the situation of the children and their parents, your heart breaks," said Prabha Bogati, deputy mayor of Bidur Municipality. Relief and rescue efforts are further complicated by blocked roads.

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It got late. The children were at school and the parents were at home. When you imagine the situation of the children and their parents, your heart breaks.