Bengaluru, 10 Sept 

Indian tourists, many from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, are stranded in Kathmandu after unrest swept through the capital of Nepal, a tourist said on Wednesday. Gauri K, who had gone on a Kailash-Mansarovar expedition with her sister, said she was stuck along with a large number of Indians at a hotel.

"We had a flight (on Wednesday), but due to unrest in Kathmandu, all airline companies have cancelled their services. I am now held up in this hotel," Gauri, a Chennai resident working in the City, told PTI over the phone from Kathmandu.

She said the tourist agency had booked the hotel only until Tuesday, but with flights cancelled, guests could not leave.

According to her, over 150 Indian tourists were staying at the hotel, including 20 from the City.

Describing Tuesday’s situation, Gauri said, "There was absolute anarchy everywhere. Smoke was billowing from buildings torched by mobs. Though a curfew was in place, youths were roaming freely, and we also heard gunshots intermittently."

She added that Wednesday was relatively peaceful due to the curfew, but "gun-totting students were still roaming on the roads."

The hotel staff warned guests not to venture out under any circumstances, citing ‘mobocracy’ dominating Kathmandu.

"We are praying for the resumption of flight services. We also heard that airlines are making a killing by charging astronomical prices from Kathmandu to New Delhi," she said. Gauri also expressed concern about hotel charges for the extended stay.

The protests were triggered by the government’s decision to ban several social media sites, and later turned into a movement against corruption, ousting much of the Nepali government.