Indians fleeing Nepal describe horror: 'Agitators driven by blind fury'

Samim Mallik, a resident of Delhi, was fleeing from Birtamod in Nepal during the chaos when he witnessed agitators setting fire to government buildings and vehicles on Wednesday afternoon. This came a day after widespread protests, dubbed the "Gen Z" movement, resulted in Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's resignation.

"I went to Birtamod to bring my pregnant wife back, who is from Nepal. As things got worse, I decided to leave alone to protect her from the danger. Her parents didn't want me to go, but some local people helped me," Mallik told HT while heading to Siliguri in West Bengal to catch a flight to Delhi from Bagdogra airport. "The sudden increase in passengers has caused air ticket prices to skyrocket. The crisis in Nepal has affected everyone," he added.

Dipen Kumar Chowdhary, a resident of Bidhyawati Nagar in Samastipur district, Bihar, had traveled to Biratnagar for eye treatment. "On Tuesday, I saw a young boy, no older than 10, fall to police bullets in Biratnagar. The protesters set fire to shopping malls and political party offices. Homes of political leaders also came under attack. I managed to escape and reach the India-Nepal border on Wednesday," Chowdhary recalled.

Kakarvitta, the main border town in Jhapa district in southeast Nepal, appeared deserted on Wednesday. With Nepal in a severe political crisis and no functioning government, there was no one to extinguish the fires set by protesters at the customs office and the region's largest customs warehouse on Tuesday. The blaze was still raging.

"A few thousand young men gathered here on Tuesday, shouting slogans against PM Oli and urging us to leave. They set fire to the building and torched all vehicles, including some with Indian license plates," Bhoj Raj Dahal, an employee at the Kakarvitta customs office, said. "Hundreds of buildings have been set ablaze across the country. The fire department is helpless," he added.

Prem Sharma, a security officer at the customs warehouse, said their attempts to stop the agitators were futile.

"We tried to talk to them, but they were consumed by a blind fury. Around ₹6 crore worth of tea and coffee were destroyed in the fire," Sharma said.

Sisir Chamlagain, a Nepalese journalist, stated: "There is effectively no government in Nepal right now. Though a curfew has been imposed and our army is trying to restore order, people are ignoring all prohibitory measures."

Not only residents but also police officers appeared overwhelmed by the scale of the unrest in Nepal. "We have locked ourselves inside the police station. Our only source of information is the media. We can't leave," said a Nepal police officer, who requested anonymity.

Prabin Adhikari, another Nepalese journalist, added: "More than 20 homes belonging to political leaders were burned at Kakarvitta. The police were unable to stop them."

The impact of the unrest was evident at the Panitanki India-Nepal border in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. With Indian armed forces maintaining strict vigil, Nepalese citizens were barred from entering India, leaving those with urgent business in India in a helpless situation.

Saru Rai, whose daughter is hospitalized in Siliguri, said: "I need to see her. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel at the border refused to let me and my sister cross."