Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Stranded in Kathmandu as Nepal Unrest Grounds Flights

KATHMANDU/NEW DELHI: Hundreds of Indian nationals, including devotees returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, remained stranded for more than 24 hours at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport after authorities suspended flight operations amid escalating protests in Nepal.

According to officials, four of the six scheduled flights were cancelled after the airport was shut around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, leaving nearly 700 passengers stuck inside the terminal. “We are aware of the matter and in touch with airlines as well as the Ministry of External Affairs,” a senior government official told The Hindu on condition of anonymity. Among those stranded are around 130 devotees from the Isha Foundation who had just completed the Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Passengers described grim conditions inside the airport. “The gates are locked, the police and military are pushing us back inside, and there is no food or water available,” said 38-year-old Rajani Maski from Bengaluru, who is travelling with her husband, Raghuveer Yavagal. “We feel like prisoners in a closed room. People are panicking—some are crying, some are falling sick. There is only one charging point for hundreds of us, making it very hard to stay in touch with our families,” she told The Times of India.

Uncertainty and fear have gripped many travellers. “Some are considering leaving the airport to seek shelter elsewhere, but the streets outside are chaotic. It feels like we are trapped either way,” Maski added.

Mayur Patil, a devotee from Mumbai visiting Lord Pashupatinath, said his group of 15 tourists had contacted the Indian Embassy. “We were advised to stay wherever we are and wait for further instructions. Our pilgrimage plan is disrupted, and now we are just waiting for guidance,” he told ANI.

Airline officials confirmed that even security and ground staff were instructed to vacate the airport premises, creating further confusion and leaving passengers without assistance.

The travel chaos unfolded against the backdrop of violent unrest in Nepal. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday following nationwide protests sparked by the ban on 26 major social media platforms and public anger over corruption. At least 19 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators, many of them youths at the forefront of what is being described as the “Gen Z movement.”