Video: Indian Woman Appeals for Rescue Amid Gen Z Protests in Nepal

Tensions are running high in Nepal as the student-led Gen Z protests spiral into chaos, forcing even tourists to fear for their lives. A video from Pokhara shows an Indian woman, Upasana Gill, making a desperate plea to the Indian government for help.

Indian Woman Stranded Amid Chaos in Pokhara

Gill, who had traveled to Nepal to host a volleyball league, said her hotel was torched while she was at a spa. “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 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. I was in the spa, and people were running behind me with very large sticks, and I barely managed to escape with my life,” she said in her video message, urging the Indian embassy to intervene.

PM Oli Resigns as Violence Claims Lives

The unrest, which began over a government ban on social media, quickly swelled into a massive anti-government movement targeting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the political elite. Allegations of corruption and indifference sparked rage, with protesters storming government buildings and even setting parliament ablaze. Oli resigned as the violence claimed 19 lives, and although the ban on social media was lifted, the turmoil shows no signs of ending.

Gill warned that the protesters are not sparing even tourists as fires and mob violence spread across the city.

“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 if someone has come here for work. They are setting fires everywhere without thinking, and the situation has become very, very bad here. We don't know how long we will stay in another hotel. But I just request the Indian embassy that please, this video, this message, should be delivered to them. With folded hands, I request all of you, please help us. There are many people with me here, and we are all stranded here,” she added.

Indian Embassy Issues Travel Advisory

In response, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued an advisory asking citizens to defer travel to Nepal until the situation stabilizes. Nationals already in Nepal have been urged to remain indoors, avoid streets, and follow local safety instructions. Emergency helpline numbers have also been shared for stranded Indians.

The Indian embassy posted on X (formerly Twitter), "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."

Tourists Rush Back as Flights Get Cancelled

The crisis has forced many Indian tourists to abandon their plans. At the India-Nepal border in Sonauli, groups of travelers were seen returning home. “We were going to Kathmandu, to Pashupatinath Temple. But the flight was cancelled. We stayed in a lodge overnight and now we are returning home,” one tourist told ANI.

Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel has appealed to citizens to pursue a peaceful dialogue, but with widespread fires, vandalism, and growing anger on the streets, uncertainty looms large. For visitors like Gill and many others stranded in Nepal, safety and rescue remain their only hopes.