Principal Saeed Ahmad’s quick decision on Friday saved nearly 900 students in Swat just minutes before floodwaters destroyed their school.
Around 9 a.m., Ahmad noticed the water level in a nearby stream rising dangerously and immediately ordered the evacuation of the building, which has almost 950 enrolled students.
Within 15 minutes, all students and teachers were safely outside. Moments later, the flood swept through, destroying half of the school, including its boundary walls and playground.
Local officials confirmed that about 900 students were inside at the time, and the swift evacuation averted a major tragedy.
The school was among several educational institutions destroyed as severe floods devastated multiple districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where over 350 people have died in the past three days.
Ahmad, who has led the school for 12 years, said his decision was shaped by experience, recalling that the same building was destroyed in the 1995 floods. That memory helped him act quickly and prioritise safety.
Authorities said this year’s monsoon has been far stronger than last year’s, with 50 to 60 percent more rainfall, and warned that two to three more heavy rain spells are expected until early September.