Andhra govt brings back over 150 Telugu evacuees from violence-hit Nepal

Amaravati, Sep 12 (PTI) More than 150 Telugu people stranded in Nepal were rescued and brought back to Andhra Pradesh, with many thanking the state government for its efforts, the ruling TDP party said on Friday.

Several evacuees narrated their ordeal on arrival in video clips shared with journalists, claiming that the hotel in Pokhara where they were staying was allegedly set on fire.

“Our hotel in Pokhara was allegedly burnt, but Andhra Pradesh officials guided us to safety and brought us back home,” K Murthy, one of the passengers, said in the video byte.

Another evacuee, P Srinivas, said his group of 10 was stranded in Pokhara when unrest broke out. “The government of Andhra Pradesh helped us reach Vizag safely,” he said.

Prabhakar Reddy, who returned with his wife and 81 others, recalled, “I saw people pelting stones and burning buildings in Kathmandu. It was worse than a nightmare.” Many of the evacuees were Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) employees who had travelled on a planned tour. After their hotel in Pokhara was allegedly set ablaze, they took refuge in another hotel until assistance arrived. “We were told to remain where we were until help reached us,” they recounted.

According to a press release issued by TDP, an aircraft carrying 154 passengers landed in Visakhapatnam late on Thursday before proceeding to Tirupati, marking the culmination of large-scale evacuation efforts by the state government.

“Telugu people stranded in Nepal have been safely brought back home on a special IndiGo flight, after two days of continuous rescue efforts,” the release said.

Of the 154 evacuees, 144 were from Kathmandu, 10 from Pokhara. Apart from that, 12 were airlifted from Simikot to Nepalgunj. Twenty-two others crossed over into Bihar. The special aircraft from Kathmandu dropped 114 passengers in Visakhapatnam and flew another 40 to Tirupati.

Meanwhile, P Subramanyam, who led a group of 50 stranded Telugu people from Kurnool district, alleged that the helpline provided by the state government failed. “Officials gave no fixed assurance of evacuation,” he told PTI over the phone.

He said half the group comprised women, who faced food shortages and soaring prices. “Nearby areas are violence-hit, worsening our ordeal. The officials told us flights are full and asked us to wait for days. Imagine our plight. Thankfully, we managed to find a safe hotel,” he said.

Subramanyam added that while they acknowledge government efforts, accountability is needed. “Everyone is aware of our situation, yet no assistance is reaching us. Who will be responsible if anything happens to us?” he asked.

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday's protests over corruption and a social media ban.

The ban on social media was lifted Monday night.

The violence continued even after Oli's resignation, with protesters setting fire to the Parliament, the President's Office, the PM's residence, government buildings, political parties' offices, and homes of senior leaders. PTI MS SSK ADB