A religious trip to Nepal turned tragic for a Ghaziabad family after violent protests in Kathmandu led to a luxury hotel fire that claimed the life of a 55-year-old Indian woman.
Dozens of Indian tourists remain stranded as unrest continues across Nepal.
What Happened
Ramveer Singh Gola (58) and his wife Rajesh Devi had travelled to Kathmandu on September 7 to visit the sacred Pashupatinath temple. On September 9, rioters set fire to their five-star hotel as violent protests swept through the capital.
Eyewitness accounts reveal a dramatic escape attempt.
“The mob stormed the hotel and set it on fire. As the stairways got filled with smoke, my father broke the windowpane, tied bedsheets together and jumped onto a mattress. My mother slipped while trying to climb down and fell heavily on her back,” Devi’s elder son Vishal told The Times of India.
Rescue teams had placed mattresses below the building to help guests jump to safety. Ramveer survived with minor injuries, but Devi was critically injured and admitted to a Kathmandu hospital. She died late on September 10.
Family’s Ordeal
Devi’s body was brought to Ghaziabad via the Sonauli border in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district on Thursday. Her last rites will be performed on Friday.
Vishal alleged that communication blackouts worsened their anxiety:
“For two days we didn’t know where my parents were. My father was eventually found in a relief camp, but my mother passed away in hospital. The Indian embassy gave us very little help.”
Background: Why Protests Turned Violent
The fire occurred during Gen Z-led protests that began on September 8. Demonstrators demanded transparency in governance and the lifting of Nepal’s social media ban. The protests escalated into violent clashes as rioters attempted to storm parliament and torched several government and private establishments.
