'They are not even sparing tourists': Indian stranded in Pokhara appeals for help as Nepal protests turn deadly
An Indian tourist stranded in Nepal’s Pokhara has issued a desperate appeal for assistance after violent Gen Z-led protests turned deadly and forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday.
In a video shared by social media user Prafful Garg, a woman identified as Upastha Gill said she narrowly escaped after a mob torched the hotel where she was staying.
New Delhi: “My name is Upastha Gill, and I am sending this video to Praful Garg. I request the Indian embassy to please help us. All those who can help us, please help. I am stranded here in Pokhara, Nepal. I had come here to host a volleyball league, and currently, the hotel where I was staying has been burned down. All my luggage, all my belongings, were in my room, and the entire hotel was set on fire,” she said.
Gill recalled how she barely survived: “I was in the spa, and people were running behind me with very large sticks. I barely managed to escape with my life.” The tourist further warned that mobs were indiscriminately targeting even visitors.
“The situation here is very bad. Fires are being set on roads everywhere. They are not even sparing tourists here. They don’t care if someone is a tourist or if someone has come here for work.”
She added that many others are stranded with her and pleaded with the Indian embassy to take immediate action.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory asking Indian citizens to postpone travel to Nepal until the unrest subsides.
“Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise due caution. They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from Nepal authorities as well as the embassy of India in Kathmandu,” the advisory said.
Security has been tightened at the India-Nepal border, with army personnel deployed in Kathmandu and other cities to enforce restrictions and restore order.