162 students were saved from a flooded residential school in East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, after spending the night stranded on the rooftop
A Night of Terror: Students Stranded as Waters Rise
What began as a typical monsoon evening turned into a harrowing ordeal for 162 students at Lav Kush Residential School in Pandarsoli village, East Singhbhum. On the night of June 28, 2025, relentless rainfall inundated the school premises, submerging the single-storey building and cutting off all exits. With floodwaters rising rapidly, teachers acted swiftly, guiding the children to the rooftop where they spent the entire night exposed to the elements.
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The school, located along the Haldipokhar-Kowali Road, lies in a low-lying area prone to waterlogging. Despite warnings of heavy rainfall, no evacuation had been ordered in advance. As the rain intensified, the school’s compound turned into a water trap, leaving students, many of them from remote villages, terrified and without access to food or sanitation.
By early morning, distress calls reached the local authorities. Police, fire brigade teams, and villagers launched a coordinated rescue operation using boats and ropes. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also alerted, but the local team completed the evacuation before their arrival.
Heroes in Uniform: The Rescue That Saved Lives
The rescue operation began around 5:30 AM on June 29. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rishabha Garg confirmed that all students were safely evacuated without injury. “Our priority was to ensure the safety of the children. The operation was swift, and we’re grateful for the support from local villagers,” he said.
Teachers who stayed overnight with the students played a crucial role in maintaining calm and ensuring no one panicked. “We kept the children together, sang songs, and reassured them that help was on the way,” said one teacher, visibly shaken but relieved.
Boats ferried students in batches to dry ground, where ambulances and district officials awaited. The school has since been closed until further notice, and arrangements are being made to send students back to their homes across districts like Dumaria, Ghatshila, and Jamshedpur.
Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi praised the quick response and urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant. “We’ve activated emergency shelters and are monitoring river levels closely,” he said, adding that relocation efforts are underway in other vulnerable blocks.
A Wake-Up Call: Infrastructure, Climate, and Accountability
While the rescue ended in relief, the incident has reignited concerns about the safety of educational institutions in flood-prone regions. Lav Kush Residential School is not alone, many rural schools across India lack proper drainage, elevated structures, or emergency protocols.
Experts warn that with climate change intensifying monsoon patterns, such incidents may become more frequent. “This is not just a weather issue, it’s a governance issue,” said a disaster management analyst. “We need climate-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and mandatory safety audits for all residential schools.”
Parents and civil society groups have demanded accountability. “Why were the children not evacuated earlier? Why was there no contingency plan?” asked a local activist. The district administration has promised a full inquiry into the school’s preparedness and response.
Meanwhile, the students many of whom are first-generation learners, are still recovering from the trauma. Psychologists have been deployed to provide counselling, and the education department is working to ensure their academic year is not disrupted.
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