144 Telugu Citizens Flown Home from Nepal Unrest

A total of 144 Telugu citizens stranded in Nepal amid violent unrest returned to Andhra Pradesh on Thursday on a special flight arranged by the State government. Families who had endured days of anxiety and sleepless nights were reunited as the coordinated rescue effort brought them back safely.

The evacuees traveled on IndiGo flight 6E 9511 from Kathmandu, which departed at 4:15 p.m. and landed in Visakhapatnam at 6 p.m. Of the passengers, 104 disembarked in Visakhapatnam while 40 continued on to Tirupati. They included 36 from Visakhapatnam, 39 from Vizianagaram, 8 from Srikakulam, 9 from Manyam, 4 from Kakinada, 1 from Anakapalli, 13 from Mangalagiri, Rajahmundry and Guntur, and 34 from Tirupati.

HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh monitored the operation from the RTGS Command Control Centre in Amaravati, coordinating closely with the Indian Embassy in Nepal, the Centre, and local authorities. A help desk has also been set up at AP Bhavan in New Delhi to assist families awaiting evacuation.

At Visakhapatnam airport, MP M. Sribharat, TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao, and MLAs Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, and Vamsikrishna Srinivas welcomed the returnees. Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the government had ensured not only evacuation but also safe transport to their home districts.

Passengers recalled tense moments during their stay. A group of LIC employees said their hotel in Pokhara was set on fire during protests. “Our driver told protesters we were tourists, and they spared us. Later, we were shifted to another hotel,” one of them recounted.

Prabhakar Reddy, who was stranded in Kathmandu with his wife, said their evacuation was confirmed within hours of contacting Mr. Lokesh. Some passengers even performed a Ksheerabhishekam (milk offering) to a photo of the Minister at the airport, while others thanked officials for food and assistance.

“We were scared when we learnt of the unrest soon after reaching Kathmandu. There were no proper mobile signals, but we managed to contact our children and the AP Helpline,” said Siva Kumari from Yendada. Julie, from Midhilapuri VUDA Colony, said she was confined to her hotel under curfew until evacuation was arranged.

Officials said rescue measures would continue until every Telugu citizen stranded in Nepal is brought home.