Telangana residents stranded in Nepal amid riots

Several people from Telangana have been left stranded in Kathmandu after the airport was shut down amid widespread riots that have rocked the country over the past few days.

“We arrived in Kathmandu last Saturday on a business trip. We took a 25-minute flight to Pokhara from there and came back. We were supposed to return to Hyderabad on Thursday but are cooped up in our hotel,” said Shyam Mohan, a businessman from Malkajgiri.

He and his group of seven friends flew down to Nepal to explore business opportunities and visit famous temples when they were caught in the internal strife.

Mr. Mohan said that many Indians are stranded in different places as per information trickling in from various sources, including social media. “As of now, we are safe and confined to our hotel. There is no problem with regard to food and water. But we were terrified when we noticed a hotel about 500 yards away being burned down,” he said.

The Indian Embassy and local authorities have advised them to stay back in their hotel till an official communication is released from the Indian government. “There is curfew in the town but two wheelers are seen moving around. We are hoping to make it to the airport, which is about 5-6 km away, as soon as our hotel opens up,” said Srinivasa Rao, another Telangana resident.