Telugu Pilgrims Stranded in Nepal: 22 Return Safely, 195 Set for Airlift Amid Unrest
In a big relief for families back home, 22 Telugu people stuck in Nepal due to ongoing unrest have made it back to India through Bihar. Another 195 are lined up for an air evacuation on Thursday, September 11. This comes as the Andhra Pradesh government ramps up efforts to bring everyone home safely.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Real Time Governance Nara Lokesh shared the good news late Wednesday. "Twenty-two individuals stranded in Nepal have returned safely," he said. "We’re working round the clock to get the rest back too."
A special IndiGo flight with 218 seats is ready in Delhi. It will head to Kathmandu on Thursday morning and, if all clearances come through, take off from there in the afternoon. The Nepal Army will provide security to escort the passengers to the airport.
The Andhra Pradesh government is teaming up with the Indian government, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, and Nepalese officials to pull off this evacuation. They’ve put together a solid plan with help from everyone involved. So far, they’ve tracked all 217 stranded Andhra Pradesh citizens across Nepal, and authorities are in touch with them regularly.
Here’s the breakdown: 173 are in Kathmandu, 22 in Hetauda, 10 in Pokhara, and 12 in Simikot near the Nepal-China border. Among them, 118 are women (55%) and 98 are men (45%). Most—about 70%—are over 50 years old, with 31% above 60. The biggest groups hail from Visakhapatnam (42 people), Vizianagaram (34), and Kurnool (22), with others from 22 districts across the state.
Things are looking up on the ground. After the Nepal Army stepped in, the situation has stabilized. A curfew is on until 6 a.m. Thursday, but after that, people can move freely. Those in Kathmandu are holed up in hotels just 1 to 4.5 km from the international airport.
For the 12 in remote Simikot, a Nepalese airline will fly them to Nepalgunj near the Uttar Pradesh border early Thursday. Helicopters are on standby if the flight gets canceled.
In Pokhara, officials are arranging a small 14-seater charter flight to Nepalgunj, pending approval from the Nepalese Air Force. From there, they’ll travel by road to Lucknow.
The 22 who already returned started their journey from Hetauda by road to Raxaul on the Bihar border. Local officials in Motihari, Bihar—the DM and SDM—have been looped in to help with immigration checks. Once across, AP Bhawan in New Delhi will handle their trip back to Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh government is reassuring families: "We’re doing everything possible to evacuate all 217 safely." Dedicated teams are staying connected with the Indian Embassy, central government, and officials in Nepal and Bihar to make sure the process goes smoothly. Stay tuned for updates on this Nepal evacuation mission.
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