Indian Tourist in Nepal Pleads for Help: ‘Hotel Set on Fire, Mob Chased Me With Sticks’

A video from Pokhara has surfaced amid the ongoing “Gen Z” protests in Nepal, showing an Indian woman pleading for assistance from the Indian government after protesters allegedly set fire to her hotel.

The woman, identified as Upasana Gill, said she had come to Nepal to host a volleyball league but was forced to flee after mobs armed with sticks chased her. “The hotel where I was staying has been burned down… people were running behind me with very large sticks, and I barely managed to escape with my life,” she said in the video, appealing to the Indian Embassy for urgent help.

Gill warned that protesters were not sparing even tourists. “Fires are being set on roads everywhere. They don’t care if someone is a tourist or has come here for work,” she said, adding that several Indians were stranded with her.

The protests, triggered by a controversial ban on social media platforms, have spiraled into a broader anti-government movement against corruption and political elites. At least 19 people have been killed, parliament and other government buildings torched, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has advised Indian nationals to defer travel to Nepal until the situation stabilizes. Citizens already in the country have been urged to shelter indoors, avoid public gatherings, and contact the embassy in case of emergencies. Emergency helplines remain active: +977-9808602881 and +977-9810326134 (WhatsApp enabled).

Meanwhile, Indian tourists have begun returning through the Sonauli border in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj. Many reported cancelled flights to Kathmandu and were forced to cut short their pilgrimage plans, including visits to the Pashupatinath Temple.

Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel has appealed for calm, urging protesters to resolve grievances through dialogue rather than violence.