Nepal crisis: Ministers, family cling to chopper rope as army airlifts them to protect against mob fury

Political leaders targeted

Tens of thousands of mostly Gen Z protesters vandalised the homes of senior government officials on Tuesday, before setting fire to the Parliament building itself.

The residence of Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung was burned down, while mobs hurled stones at the homes of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Paudel, and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.

One widely shared video showed the Finance Minister being chased, beaten, and kicked on the streets, while another depicted Foreign Affairs Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and her husband, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba, under violent attack at their Kathmandu home.

Deuba, bleeding from the face, was later filmed sitting helplessly in a field before being rescued by authorities.

Army mobilised, helicopter rescues

As violence spiralled, the Nepal Army deployed soldiers across Kathmandu, imposing stay-at-home orders and conducting emergency evacuations of political leaders.

Videos from the capital showed ministers being hoisted in rescue baskets onto military helicopters, flying over hotels and smoky skies as fires raged below.

Prisoners also joined the unrest — setting fire to guard houses and attempting a mass breakout. Soldiers eventually contained the escape attempt and transferred inmates to other facilities.

Social media ban

The protests began after the Oli government blocked Facebook, X, YouTube, and other platforms, accusing them of refusing to register under new rules.

The ban, however, quickly snowballed into a much broader movement reflecting deep youth frustration with political elites.

Many protesters expressed anger at so-called “nepo kids”, the children of political leaders who flaunt luxury lifestyles while the country’s youth struggle with unemployment.

According to the World Bank, youth unemployment in Nepal stood at around 20% in 2024, and government estimates suggest more than 2,000 young people leave Nepal every day for jobs in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

With Prime Minister Oli gone and the army stretched to contain unrest, Nepal faces one of its deepest political crises in recent memory. Analysts warn that unless a political settlement is reached and economic frustrations addressed, the discontent among Nepal’s youth could continue to fuel instability.