People take pictures of the charred remains of a bank, a day after it was set ablaze by agitators during anti-government protests, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Credit: PTI Photo
People from Karnataka remain stranded in Nepal but are safe, according to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
In a statement on Wednesday, the CMO said that the chief secretary and Karnataka’s resident commissioner in Delhi were coordinating efforts to stay in touch with the stranded Kannadigas.
The state government officials are also in talks with India’s Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate their return from Nepal, the statement added.
Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport has suspended both domestic and international flights due to ongoing anti-corruption protests, leaving all Indians stranded in the Himalayan nation.
Bengalureans stuck in Nepal told DH that riots have broken out in some areas, forcing them to stay inside their hotels.
Although Air India has announced special flights to Delhi, fares have skyrocketed.
A Bengaluru-based journalist, staying in a three-star hotel with a group of Indians in Kathmandu, reported that Thursday’s fares were as high as Rs 85,000.
Rajani Maski, who is among 39 Kannadigas stranded in hotels near Kathmandu airport, said the situation was improving slightly but riots were still taking place. “We have been hearing ambulances and fire engines with their sirens on since morning,” she
told DH.
She said the area around the airport seemed more tense than other parts of the city. Some members of the travel group have been injured or fallen sick, but no pharmacies or hospitals are open nearby. “We fear we won’t be able to manage staying in Kathmandu any longer. I can’t sustain this another day,” Rajani said.
She added that there were rumours of a bus service to evacuate Indians from Kathmandu, but no official confirmation was available.