Nepal Gen Z unrest: Bus carrying Indian pilgrims attacked in Kathmandu, belongings looted; several injured

While the unrest in Nepal simmers down, reports are emerging that a batch of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh faced tense moments when miscreants attacked their bus near Kathmandu. According to The Times of India, the incident took place on Thursday morning after hooligans looted their belongings and left several of them injured.

According to the police, the pilgrims were returning from a visit to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu when their bus bearing a UP came under attack. As per the report, the assailants hurled stones at the bus, smashing its windows, and robbed the passengers of their bags, cash and mobile phones.

“Seven to eight passengers were hurt, but Nepalese army personnel came to our aid. The Indian government later arranged for all stranded passengers to be airlifted from Kathmandu to Delhi,” Shyamu Nishad, a bus staffer, told TOI. The authorities noted that the damaged bus reached the Sonauli border near Maharajganj in UP on Thursday evening.

The victims recount the horrific experience

While recounting the horrific experience, bus driver Raj, who was from Andhra Pradesh, said that the mob attacked as the bus was heading back to India. “The attackers broke all the glass panes with stones and looted our belongings,” he said after reaching the Sunauli border.

It is pertinent to note that the violence and tensions that have boiled over in Nepal prompted Indian authorities to heighten security and vigilance in the border areas of UP, Bihar and West Bengal. In light of this, the bordering districts in the three states remain on high alert to thwart any untoward incident or illegal movements across the border.

During the span of two days, only Nepalese citizens stranded in India were allowed to cross the border after verification of their citizenship card by authorities from both sides of the border. At the Khunwa border in UP’s Siddharthnagar, Nepalese citizens attempting to buy essentials in India due to shortages in their country were stopped by the authorities and the Nepali nationals were asked to return, The Times of India reported. The security is expected to remain in place until the situation settles in Nepal.