Nepal Gen Z Protest LIVE: Kathmandu Airport Resumes Operations; Army Extends Nationwide Curfew, Issues Prohibitory Orders

A large number of inmates from Dillibazar Jail are being held back by Army personnel in Kathmandu as they have stepped out of jail. The inmates are demanding that they be released from the prison.

Police personnel have fallen back from prisons, except the Police HQ, following the recent violent anti-corruption protests. The Nepali Army has been deployed to control the situation.

The Army has urged hotels, tourism entrepreneurs, and other related organisations to coordinate and facilitate necessary rescue and support efforts for foreign nationals.

Due to the prevailing difficult circumstances, the Army, in a notice issued on Wednesday, requested that all foreign nationals awaiting rescue or any form of help contact the nearest security agency or security personnel stationed nearby.

Amid the ongoing “Gen Z” protests in Nepal, a video of an Indian woman appealing for help from the Indian government is going viral. The woman, who identified herself as Upasana Gill, talked about her experience in Nepal as the violent protestors set fire to the hotel, where she was staying.

Gill, in the video, stated that while she was at a spa inside the hotel, a mob carrying sticks was running behind her, leaving her to flee for safety. She stated that she had come to Nepal to host a volleyball league. READ MORE

Mayur Patil, an Indian national from Mumbai and stranded in Nepal, said, “We had come for the darshan of Lord Pashupatinath and to visit places in Nepal…We reached here on September 8.”

“We visited Pashupatinath Temple but now we are stranded following the protests. We called up the Indian Embassy and they told us to stay put in a safe place wherever we are. They will tell us about what is to be done next. We had a tour plan for 8 days…We are a group of 15 people,” he added.

The Nepali Army on Wednesday announced the imposition of prohibitory orders and continuation of the nationwide curfew amid the ongoing unrest driven by the Gen Z-led protests in various parts of the country.

In a statement released on Wednesday by the Directorate of Public Relations and Information, the Army stated that the prohibitory orders will remain in effect until 5:00 pm today.

Following that, a nationwide curfew will come into force from 6:00 am on Thursday, September 11.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office on Wednesday said people from the state who are stranded in unrest-hit Nepal are safe.

As the violent clashes intensified, angry protesters torched Bhat-Bhateni Supermarket in Nepal’s Bharatpur. The store was set on fire on Tuesday evening and was still out of control on Wednesday morning.

Bhat-Bhateni is he biggest retail supermarket chain of Nepal.

Armed soldiers guarded the streets of Nepal’s capital on Wednesday, ordering people to stay home in an attempt to restore order after tens of thousands of protesters stormed and set fire to government buildings and attacked politicians.

Plumes of smoke rise from the Nepali media outlet Kantipur TV’s headquarters, which was set on fire on Tuesday as the protest turned violent in Kathmandu.

Nepal Army Chief Ashokraj Sigdel held late-night discussions on Tuesday with representatives of the protesting Gen Z groups to understand their demands.

According to participants, he invited the representatives to Army Headquarters at midnight for talks.

During the meeting, General Sigdel expressed sorrow over the human casualties that occurred during the protests and urged the demonstrators to address their demands through dialogue. He also assured the youth leaders that he would facilitate talks with President Ram Chandra Paudel on Wednesday.

IndiGo Airlines on Tuesday issued a travel advisory announcing the suspension of all flights to and from Kathmandu until 12:00 pm on September 10, citing the closure of Kathmandu Airport due to the Gen Z Protest.

“All flights to and from Kathmandu stand cancelled until 1200 hrs on September 10. If your travel plans are impacted, you may opt for an alternate flight or claim a refund through our website,” the airline said in its statement.

As unrest continues in Nepal, Uttar Pradesh’s border districts saw empty markets, with residents grappling with cancelled travel plans and severed family contacts across the frontier and many expressing concern over the disruption of their daily lives.

In Bahraich’s Rupaidiha town, which usually bustles with Nepali shoppers, markets have fallen silent.

The Nepal Army on Tuesday took control of the Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu after the agitators tried to enter its premises.

Flight services at the airport were partially suspended in view of the protests.

Air India, which operates six flights a day between New Delhi and Kathmandu, on Tuesday cancelled four flights. IndiGo and Nepal Airlines also cancelled their flights from Delhi to Kathmandu.