The Foreign Ministry says it is working to evacuate 73 Sri Lankan pilgrims currently in Nepal, due to ongoing nationwide protests.
According to the Ministry, the group had travelled to Nepal via India.
The ministry said that despite initial technical difficulties, coordinated efforts are underway with the support of Nepali authorities to evacuate the pilgrims.
Earlier today, the Foreign Ministry said that all Sri Lankans living in Nepal are safe, with no reports of harm.
According to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu, there are 102 Sri Lankans in Nepal, including 22 students, other residents, and embassy staff.
Embassy officials have been in direct contact with the community through WhatsApp groups and personal networks to monitor their safety.
Protests against Nepal’s short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent on Tuesday as demonstrators set government buildings and politicians’ homes on fire and attacked some leaders. The prime minister resigned amid widening criticism of the country’s political elite.
Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets late in the day, blocking roads and storming government facilities. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.
A day earlier, demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the capital, and police opened fire on the crowds, killing 19 people.
The ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, fueled by rage over the deaths and accusations of political corruption in the nation. (Newswire)
