A spiritual pilgrimage to the sacred site of Kailash Mansarovar has descended into a desperate struggle for hundreds of Indian travellers, including a large contingent from Karnataka, who are now trapped inside Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport amid violent political protests sweeping Nepal.
According to a TOI report, the situation inside the terminal is dire. Passengers, including dozens from Bengaluru, are confined with minimal supplies, shuttered amenities and growing fear as military and police forces block the exits.
Rajani Maski, 38, from Bengaluru, is among the stranded. She travelled with a group of 130 devotees associated with the Isha Foundation, returning to Kathmandu from Mansarovar on Monday at 10.30 pm. She described a scene of chaos upon their arrival, with burning tyres and wooden planks filling the streets with smoke. “We reached the hotel around 10.30 pm. There was smoke everywhere... a sense of fear lingered in the air,” she was quoted by TOI as saying.
The group hoped for a swift departure on a 1 pm flight the following day, but those hopes were dashed upon arriving at the airport.
They found the gates shut, flights cancelled and the area heavily barricaded. Maski recounted the frightening scene, noting they were only able to reach the terminal safely thanks to the assistance of their hotel staff.
Once inside, the situation worsened. Maski estimated that between 500 to 1,000 passengers are now packed into the airport, with nearly 200 from Karnataka alone.
The TOI report detailed a critical lack of basic necessities, as most travellers did not carry provisions expecting to buy them airside.
“We don't know what to do. The airport gates are shut, they won't let us out and the military and police are pushing us back inside. There is no food, no water and no shops open to even buy something to eat,” Maski stated in a distressed voice.
Desperation is mounting within the confined space. Passengers are reported to be panicking, crying and falling ill. With only a single charging point available, maintaining contact with anxious families back home has become a significant challenge.
Some travellers are reportedly attempting to book hotel rooms outside, but the extreme volatility in the city makes any attempt to leave the terminal a perilous gamble. “Many are debating whether to leave the airport and find safer shelter, but the streets are chaotic. It feels like we are trapped either way,” Maski was quoted as saying.
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