Nepal protests: Ghaziabad woman dies as Kathmandu hotel set ablaze during violent protests; several Indians stranded

PTC Web Desk:  A religious trip to Nepal turned tragic for a family from Ghaziabad, UP, after violent protests in Kathmandu led to a luxury hotel being set on fire, claiming the life of a woman and leaving several Indian tourists stranded.

On September 7, Ramveer Singh Gola (58) and his wife Rajesh Gola travelled to Nepal to visit the sacred Pashupatinath temple. However, on the night of September 9, their five-star hotel in Kathmandu was torched during large-scale riots triggered by ongoing political unrest.

The disturbances followed ‘Gen Z-led’ demonstrations that began on September 8, demanding greater transparency in governance and the lifting of a social media ban. As the agitation intensified, demonstrators attempted to storm parliament and set fire to several government and private properties across the city.

Relatives said the Golas were staying on an upper floor of the hotel when protesters ignited fires on the lower levels. In a desperate attempt to save his wife, Ramveer tied curtains together to lower her down, but she slipped from his grip and fell. Rajesh sustained critical injuries and succumbed to excessive bleeding while being rushed to the hospital.

On Friday morning at 10:30 am, her body was brought back to the family’s residence in Master Colony, Ghaziabad, where relatives and neighbours gathered in grief.

Their elder son Vishal recounted the harrowing moments. “The mob stormed the hotel and set it on fire. As the stairways filled with smoke, my father broke the window, tied bedsheets, and jumped onto a mattress. My mother slipped while trying to climb down and fell heavily on her back,” he added.

Vishal further alleged that communication blackouts delayed the family’s search for his parents. “For two days we had no information. Eventually, my father was located at a relief camp, but my mother had already passed away in hospital,” he said. He also claimed that the family received only minimal support from the Indian embassy.

As the unrest continues, many Indian pilgrims are cutting short their visits and rushing back home. At the India-Nepal border in Maharajganj, a surge of returning tourists was witnessed.

One tourist told ANI: “We were going to the Pashupatinath Temple, but due to the tense situation, we could not go. Our flight was cancelled, so we are returning home now.”

A group of 10 pilgrims from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, including local BJP leader Sunil Kumar Tayal, has been confined to their hotel for three days. Tayal has sought intervention from state minister Kapil Dev Aggarwal for their safe return.

Similarly, 14 persons from four families in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, remain stuck in Kathmandu. In a video message, a member of the group said their hotel had run out of food supplies.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said efforts were underway to bring back stranded pilgrims safely.

The Andhra Pradesh government has also stepped up evacuation measures. On Thursday, 154 boarding passes were issued to Indians stranded in Kathmandu.

A charter flight carrying 12 Telugu tourists landed in Nepalganj, while another with 10 passengers arrived in Kathmandu from Pokhara. These groups later boarded Indigo flights back to India. Earlier, 22 Telugu nationals had already returned safely, state minister Nara Lokesh confirmed.