Nepal Unrest: Bus With Indian Pilgrims Onboard Attacked In Kathmandu By Miscreants; Several Injured After Stones Hurled, Belongings Looted

Kathmandu: Amid ongoing protests in Nepal, miscreants attacked a bus of Indian pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh near Kathmandu on Thursday. Several people were reportedly injured in the attack. The miscreants also looted the belongings of several people.

The incident took place when the pilgrims were returning from a visit to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, reported The Times of India. The bus was bearing a registration number of Uttar Pradesh. Seven to eight passengers were reportedly hurt in the attack.

Nepalese army personnel came to the rescue of the stranded Indian passengers. As per Shyamu Nishad, a bus staffer, the Indian government later airlifted the passengers to Delhi. The bus was attacked when it was heading back to India.

"The attackers broke all the glass panes with stones and looted our belongings," the bus driver said, as quoted by TOI. Amid the ongoing tensions in Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory for Indian nationals in Nepal.

The MEA had asked the Indians in Nepal to postpone their travel to the Himalayan nation until normalcy returns. “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 Ministry had said in its advisory on Wednesday.

Former Nepal King Gyanendra Shah's Appeal:

On September 10, a video of Indian presenter Upasana Gill surfaced on social media, wherein she can be seen pleading for the Indian Embassy's help after being stuck in Nepal's Pokhara amid violent protests. Gill, who had travelled to Nepal to host a women's volleyball league, said the hotel in which she was staying was attacked and set ablaze by protesters.

The death toll from the ongoing Gen Z protests in the Kathmandu Valley has climbed to 34, as reported by The Himalayan Times, citing data released by the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal. Over 1,300 people have also been reportedly injured.

The ministry spokesperson, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, stated that the majority of those injured have already received treatment and been discharged, with 949 people sent home from hospitals so far.

Earlier on Thursday, the leaders of the Gen-Z protest in a press conference also collectively endorsed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as their nominee for interim Prime Minister, citing her integrity and independence, following the resignation of the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli after widespread protests across the nation.

The Gen-Z protest started in Nepal on Monday, over the ban on social media platforms and corruption. However, the protest continued even after the ban was lifted, forcing KP Sharma Oli to resign as the prime minister of Nepal.