From the fourth floor of their hotel, Nirdesh Aggarwal from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district captured the terrifying scenes on his phone — flames consuming shops, crowds surging through the streets.
“We have been trapped since yesterday [Tuesday]. There is widespread looting… violent agitation, we’re completely trapped,” said Aggarwal. Nirdesh is among 14 members of four families from Chhatarpur who are stuck in violence-hit Nepal.
Rajeev, one of the trapped tourists, said his family of four had come to Kathmandu to visit Pashupatinath temple. “We can see fires from our hotel room. We are very scared. My family has no hope but to depend on PM Narendra Modi to intervene and safely bring us back to India.”
In Chhatarpur’s Galla Mandi, Nutan Kushwaha paced anxiously, waiting for news of her son, Pushpendra, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter who left 7 days ago for Nepal. “We managed to talk to them only once with great difficulty,” she said.
The families had set out on September 6, reached Pokhara on September 7 morning, and arrived in Kathmandu on September 9. By morning of September 10, their dream vacation had turned into a nightmare. CM Mohan Yadav assured that efforts are being made to ensure their safe return to India.
