Nepal’s political crisis intensified on Tuesday, September 9, as escalating protests in Kathmandu forced the closure of Tribhuvan International Airport, cancelling all flights. The army deployed hundreds of personnel at the airport, and at least five Nepal Army helicopters were used to evacuate government ministers from their residences. Plans were reportedly underway to evacuate Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from Baluwatar, with Himalaya Airlines on standby for a potential flight to Dubai, officially citing medical reasons.
The unrest escalated as protesters stormed the Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu, breaking glass façades and breaching the main gate. Witnesses reported that the crowd was temporarily scattered but quickly regrouped, with smoke rising from the hotel grounds. The violence underscored the growing intensity of demonstrations led by Gen Z protesters in the capital.
In other parts of Kathmandu, demonstrators targeted political institutions and leaders’ residences. They set fire to the Nepali Congress headquarters in Sanepa, stormed Communist Party offices, and tore down the hammer-and-sickle emblem. Residences of top leaders, including Prime Minister Oli, President Ram Chandra Paudel, CPN Maoist Centre chief Prachanda, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, were vandalized or set ablaze, reflecting the widespread nature of the unrest.
