'Hotel set on fire, mob chased me with sticks': Indian tourist trapped in Nepal appeals for help | VIDEO

Amid ongoing “Gen Z” protests in Nepal, a video has surfaced on social media showing an Indian woman requesting help from the Indian government. The woman identified as Upasana Gill has claimed in the video that while she was at a spa, protesters set fire to the hotel where she was staying. She also said that a mob carrying sticks were rushing toward her, prompting Upasana to leave the place in order to save her, as she was in Nepal to host a volleyball league.

“My name is Upasana 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 stuck here in Pokhara, Nepal, as I had come here to host a volleyball league. Currently, the hotel where I was staying has been set on fire. All my luggage and belongings were in my room, and the entire hotel was set on fire. I was in the spa, and people c me with large sticks, and I barely managed to escape with my life,” the Indian woman is heard saying in the video. She also requested that all those people who can help, as the situation is very tense over there.

Upasana Gill highlighted in the video that protesters did not spare even tourists. “The situation here is very bad. Fires are being set on roads everywhere. They are not sparing tourists here. They don't care if someone is a tourist or has come here for work. The situation has become very bad here because they are setting fires everywhere without thinking. We don't know how long we will stay in another hotel. But I just request the Indian embassy to help us and this video, this message, should be delivered to them as soon as possible. With folded hands, I request all of you, please help us. There are many people with me here, and we are all stranded here,” Gill added.

Indian Embassy responds

In response to the situation, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu advised all Indian citizens in Nepal to avoid travelling outside. Additionally, it advised them to remain in their current places of residence until the situation stabilises. It also provided emergency contact numbers for those facing any urgent situation or requiring further assistance.

Sharing a post on social media platform X, the Indian embassy said, “All Indian nationals in Nepal are hereby requested to note the following telephone numbers from the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, for contact, in case they are facing any emergency situation or require assistance: 977 - 980 860 2881, 977 - 981 032 6134.”

"In view of the developing situation in Nepal, Indian citizens are advised to defer travel there until the situation has stabilised. Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise all due caution," the MEA said.

“They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from the Nepal authorities as well as the Embassy of India in Kathmandu. In case of any assistance required, please call the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, on the following helpline numbers: 977 - 980 860 2881 ( WhatsApp call also), 977 - 981 032 6134 ( WhatsApp call also ),” the MEA added.

The student-driven Gen Z protests in Nepal, which started over a government ban on social media, have grown into a wider movement, voicing public discontent with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s administration and the political elite over alleged corruption and neglect of ordinary citizens.