Wednesday’s Bhotekoshi flood has damaged 20 schools in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts, with mud, sand and silt filling classrooms at most of the affected schools.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that based on details collected from district education units and local governments, five schools in Rasuwa, seven in Nuwakot and eight in Dhading have suffered varying degrees of damage in the disaster.

The ministry said schools in Uttargaya and Gosainkunda rural municipalities of Rasuwa; Bidur Municipality of Nuwakot; and Galchhi Rural Municipality and Nilkantha Municipality of Dhading were affected. At least four Dhading teachers who had travelled to Gosainkunda for pilgrimage are also out of contact, the ministry said.

Tribhuvan Multiple Campus in Nuwakot and the women’s hostel of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School were buried by the flood. Most of the affected schools are community schools, although some private schools have also suffered damage.

Only three of the 10 teachers at Nepal Rastriya Basic School in Rasuwa are currently in contact, according to the ministry. Trishuli Community Boarding School in Nuwakot has reported three students missing.

Meanwhile, Kathmandu University has formed a search, rescue and coordination committee for three fourth-year civil engineering students who had gone to the 37 MW Upper Trishuli-3B in Nuwakot for an internship on August 23 and are out of contact since Wednesday’s flooding. Registrar Rajiv Shrestha said the committee is being led by Assistant Professor Manish Prakash.