Ghaziabad woman dead, pilgrims attacked in bus… How Nepal’s Gen-Z protests turned into a living hell for Indian tourists

After violent protests on Monday and Tuesday (September 8 and 9), Nepal is witnessing relative calm as the Gen-Z protesters have wrapped up following the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Now, the Himalayan country is trying to pick up the pieces — deliberations are ongoing as to who shall be the interim leader of the nation.

These past few days in Nepal have been perilous for countless of tourists, many of them Indians, as Gen-Z protesters went on a rampage setting buildings, including hotels, on fire and disrupting public transport on the streets.

In fact, one Indian woman has died in the protests while a busload of passengers from Andhra had to contend with stone-pelting.

Here are some of the horrifying stories of Indian tourists in Nepal amid the protests.

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Ghaziabad woman dies trying to escape hotel fire

Among the 51 deaths recorded amid the protests, one was from India — a woman identified to be from Ghaziabad. Rajesh Gola, wife of Ghaziabad-based transporter Ramveer Singh Gola, was visiting Nepal with her husband when a group of rioters set fire to the Hyatt Hotel where they were staying.

The two had travelled to Nepal to visit the Pashupatinath Temple on September 7. They were staying at the Hotel Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu when, on September 9, protesters suddenly surrounded the hotel and set it ablaze. Fearing for their lives, the Indian couples jumped from the fourth floor with 55-year-old Rajesh suffering serious injuries, which she later succumbed to.

News reports state that her remains were brought to India through the Sonauli border in Maharajganj to Ghaziabad on Thursday (September 11) and the last rites are scheduled for today (September 12).

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According to the couple’s elder son, Vishal, his parents had been ecstatic to visit the temple in Nepal. “They video-called us to show us Kathmandu’s sights. But on the night of September 9, chaos erupted. The mob stormed the hotel and set it on fire. As the stairways got filled with smoke, my father broke the windowpane, tied sheets, and jumped onto a mattress. My mother slipped while trying to climb down and fell heavily on her back,” the Times of India quoted him as saying.

He told the Indian newspaper that communication blackouts made locating them nearly impossible. “For two days, we didn’t know about their whereabouts. Finally, my father was found in a relief camp, but my mother died in the hospital.”

Bus carrying Indian tourists attacked

But the woman dying in Nepal isn’t a singular incident. A bus carrying pilgrims from Andhra was also attacked by protesters in Nepal, turning what was supposed to be a holy visit into an unforgettable ordeal.

According to the police, the incident occurred on Thursday (September 11) when a bus carrying over 40 people from Andhra was attacked by miscreants while returning from a visit to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

As per a Times of India report, stones were hurled at the bus following which the assailants robbed the passengers of their bags, cash and mobile phones.

Recounting the ordeal, bus driver, Ramu Nishad, said that the mob attacked the bus without any provocation. “We were returning after darshan at the Pashupatinath Temple, when suddenly a mob surrounded our bus and attacked without reason,” he told reporters.

“There were women and elderly people among the passengers, but the protesters did not care,” the driver added.

Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims stranded

The fierce protests in Nepal also left more than 500 Indian tourists stranded along the Nepal-China border. These individuals were in the Himalayan nation for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra.

While some found themselves stranded at Taklakot, others were stuck in Darchen. In fact, one of the pilgrims, Sridhar from Andhra Pradesh, was quoted telling The Hindu that the situation was dire for them. “We urge the Government of India to help us as there are hundreds of us here and the Nepal border is not yet open,” he said.

And after much efforts, some of the tourists have been evacuated. In fact, India on Thursday even expressed gratitude to Chinese authorities for their prompt assistance in ensuring a safe and smooth journey for pilgrims returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, following disruptions caused by unrest in Nepal.

In a post on X, the Embassy stated: “It is learnt that the border crossings are now operational and Indian pilgrims undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra are able to return to India via Nepal in a safe and smooth manner. We thank the local authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their prompt assistance. Our helpline numbers continue to be operational.”

Other tourists narrate their Nepal plight

Several other Indians from different parts of the country also narrated how they got caught up in the fiercely violent protests in Nepal.

Take for instance, Anand Kumar Shah, a 58-year-old civil court advocate from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. He had gone to Pokhara in Nepal with his wife and neighbour when they received the news that protests had broken out.

“Our guide led us through side roads. We did run into some protesters, but they let us pass. They were angry with their own government,” he was quoted telling Indian Express.

After a day of waiting, they then decided to find a way back home. “We took a small car to Bharatpur, then a bus to Pathlaiya, followed by an auto to Jaitapur, and finally an e-rickshaw just kilometres before the border,” Shah said, adding that the Nepal Army tried to help wherever they could. When they finally reached the Indian side of the Maitri Bridge in Raxaul on Thursday morning, with bags in their hands, the three vacationers looked tired but managed a smile. “There is a major feeling of relief after reaching here,” Shah said.

Even Gauri K, a resident of Bengaluru was among the many Indians stuck in Nepal. Visiting the Himalayan nation to pray at the Pashupatinath temple, she was quoted telling PTI, “There was absolute anarchy everywhere. Smoke was billowing from buildings torched by mobs. Though a curfew was in place, youths were roaming freely, and we also heard gunshots intermittently.”

She added that Wednesday was relatively peaceful due to the curfew, but “gun-toting students were still roaming on the roads.”

Similar stories have been narrated by other tourists. Priyanka Patel from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad had left for Nepal a few days ago along with a group of 16 people. A few days into the trip and the violence broke out.

“We had been in outer areas of Kathmandu for the last couple of days. After witnessing violence in different parts of Nepal, we all abandoned our further journey and arrived at Kathmandu International Airport on Tuesday night, only to find it closed. Some of our group members then contacted the Indian Embassy and informed them about our situation. The embassy personnel took us to a private hotel in the city centre under strict protection,” said Priyanka, a housewife, to Indian Express.

Reports have also come in that a group of 200 tourists from Karnataka were stuck at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu with The Hindu reporting that they have been moved from the airport to nearby restobars on Wednesday. An official was quoted as saying that the state is working on an evacuation plan, which, as of Wednesday evening, had not been finalised. “There are several challenges involved, and the team is addressing them,” the official added.

And the tales go on and on and on.

The Indians trapped in Nepal are now praying for normalcy to return to the country so that they can return home safety. In the meantime, they hope that peace prevails and they are safe in their hotels and hideaways.

With inputs from agencies