With over 260 Telugu-speaking tourists marooned across Nepal, families back home anxiously await their return, while state and central authorities scramble to coordinate evacuation flights.
Published Sep 11, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Appa Rao Karri and his tour group. Inset: Sanjay Singh and his companions.
Synopsis: Over 260 Indian tourists, including pilgrims in Simikot and visitors at Chandragiri Hills Resort near Kathmandu, remain stranded in Nepal, awaiting rescue amid the ongoing unrest in the country. Evacuation efforts are being coordinated by state and central authorities, with tourists confirmed safe but confined to their locations. The first special flight to bring the stranded home is being arranged.
Panic, frustration, and uncertainty loom large for Indian tourists stranded in Nepal as violent protests and sudden travel disruptions cut off their routes home.
The scenic Chandragiri Hills Resort near Kathmandu, once a popular getaway, has turned into an anxious holding ground after protestors set fire to the base station of the cable car, the resort’s lifeline to the city.
“The only way out of here is burnt,” said Sanjay Singh, a 55-year-old visitor from Kolkata, describing the chaos as staff abandoned the resort overnight.
Far away in Simikot, near the Chinese border, a group of Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims also found themselves stranded after flights were abruptly cancelled.
With over 260 Telugu-speaking tourists marooned across Nepal, families back home anxiously await their return, while state and central authorities scramble to coordinate evacuation flights.
Despite regaining hope with the evacuation efforts underway, the tourists remain in a state of confusion abroad.
The Chandragiri Hills Resort is located on a hill. Reportedly, there are only three ways to reach it: a helipad, a dangerous road, and the default 1.5-kilometre-long cable car. On the evening of 9 September, protestors attacked the base station of the cable car, burning it down and rendering it inoperable.
“Just yesterday evening, we were told that our only way out of the resort was destroyed. With the situation deteriorating in Kathmandu, most of the resort staff have left us as well,” Sanjay Singh, a 55-year-old self-employed resident of Kolkata, told South First.
“The manager was showing us the visuals from the base station. Absolute carnage! Subsequently, on the same night, a lot of the local staff members left the resort, leaving it barely staffed. Only three to four members remain here. They stayed back for us.”
He continued: “The staff is worried about the situation. While it has improved, they are afraid that if the protestors reach the top of the resort, we, the tourists, would be in danger.”
With growing tensions, Sanjay and his companions tried reaching out to various government officials to seek help, but in vain.
“We have reached out to every available number, but received no response. Even the Embassy has been of no help. Yet, we have been trying nonstop. We also reached out to AP Bhavan, who said they would look into our situation as well. But most of them are refusing to give us any proper advice, stating that we must remain where we are. Where we are is what is worrying us to begin with,” he said.
“We are seeking support from India, no matter which government it is, we are all Indians, aren’t we? We just want to come back home.”
Appa Rao Karri travelled to Kailash Manasarovar with a private tour group of about 12 individuals. Currently taking shelter in Simikot, the group is far from the events in Kathmandu but has still been affected.
“Our group came to visit Kailash Manasarovar near the Chinese border. The route is pretty simple, from Kathmandu to Simikot and Simikot to Hilsa, all by air,” Rao explained.
His group was returning from the Kailash Manasarovar visit, taking a helicopter from Hilsa to Simikot, when they faced an unexpected challenge.
“We arrived in Simikot, got our boarding passes and even boarded the plane. That is when we were informed that all flights had been cancelled,” Appa Rao recalled. Following the cancellation on 9 September, he and his group reached out to all potential contacts for help.
“We were able to get in touch with Delhi’s AP Bhavan following the cancellation sometime yesterday. They were coordinating with us, and we even got to speak with Minister Nara Lokesh’s team, all of whom assured us assistance. We were informed that we would be moved out of Simikot tomorrow morning via air,” he told South First.
Rao and his entire group are currently staying in a dormitory in Simikot.
“Thankfully, this is far away from the protest in Kathmandu, there is no threat to us here. But we are still looking forward to come back home,” he said.
The AP Bhavan has been coordinating with about 260 residents of Andhra currently stranded in Nepal, including Appa Rao. Liaison Officer Suresh Babu told South First that the first evacuation flight could be out on Thursday afternoon.
“We are planning an evacuation by special flights [on Thursday]. Before that, we need to transfer all those stranded from various places like Simikot and Pokhara to Kathmandu,” he said.
Sources told South First that most Indian citizens stranded in Nepal are in Kathmandu. About 173 people from Andhra Pradesh remain in the capital. While all the tourists have been marked safe, one couple from Srikakulam reported having their phones and belongings stolen.
However, they are safe and are currently with 84 other tourists from the state at the same resort in Kathmandu.
“They will all depart on a flight from Kathmandu and touch down directly in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada,” Babu added.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
