Key facts
- At least 69 schools in Nepal's flood-devastated districts have been destroyed or damaged.
- Nearly 19,000 children are at risk of losing their education due to school destruction.
- Students at one school in Dhading survived because they were on their lunch break or evacuated by teachers.
- The death toll in Nepal has climbed to 788, with 2,502 people missing.
- Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on the Chinese side of the border.
In the wake of catastrophic floods and landslides in Nepal, at least 69 schools have been destroyed or damaged, jeopardizing the education of nearly 19,000 children. In one particularly hard-hit area of Dhading, students at a school survived the disaster by chance. Many children were on their lunch break when the waters surged, while others were quickly evacuated by teachers. "The teachers said, ‘There is a flood and you should leave bags and tiffins,’" said Lakshmi Shrestha, the mother of a student, explaining how they managed to survive.
Families returned to the school on Sunday to assess the damage, finding classrooms coated in thick mud and belongings scattered. Despite the destruction, the majority of children at the school appeared to have survived, bringing relief to parents like Kopila Mizar, who stated, "My son is alive, that is my biggest happiness."
Nationwide, Nepal's disaster agency reported the death toll had climbed to 788 with 2,502 people missing as of Sunday. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on their side of the border. Hundreds of foreigners, including Nepalis and others from around the world, are among the missing, many of whom were in the region for work, tourism, or pilgrimage.
The government ordered schools and universities to shut down for three days following the torrential rains, and university exams were also paused. With ongoing flood warnings, it remains unclear when classes will be able to resume.