KATHMANDU: The ‘Pokhara Tourism Year’ inauguration ceremony was taking place on Saturday afternoon at the Exhibition Center in Kaski, with a goal of attracting 2 million domestic and international tourists.
The chief guest at the event was Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, assisted by Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhan Raj Acharya.
As the announcer hyped up the moment, Paudel and Acharya stood at the front of the stage, preparing to unveil the logo and officially inaugurate the campaign.
The stage was filled with bursts of fire from flame machines, while two large clusters of hydrogen-filled balloons were being waved nearby.
The announcer excitedly declared, “This is the century of science and technology… AI is making great strides, and we must embrace technology. You can see the flames everywhere… The switch is on… A big round of applause… The oil lamp is rising… It’s burning… A thunderous round of applause as we unveil the Pokhara Tourism Year logo…”
As the flame machines spewed sparks, the highly flammable hydrogen balloons were still being held by aides near the minister and mayor.
Each was handed a cluster of these balloons to release as part of the ceremony. However, with fire erupting all around the stage, disaster struck.
The announcer suddenly fell silent. The hydrogen-filled balloons, held by both Paudel and Acharya, exploded instantly. A massive burst of fire engulfed their faces.
The grand inauguration, which was meant to showcase “the century of science and technology,” turned into a severe accident due to a lack of safety precautions. Both the minister and the mayor suffered burns and ran in panic.
Security personnel rushed to rescue Mayor Acharya and took him to Fishtail Hospital in Pokhara. Deputy Prime Minister Paudel, who sustained burns on his face and hands, was taken to Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Doctors in Pokhara recommended immediate transfer to a specialized burn hospital. Both officials were flown to Kathmandu in a Fishtail Air helicopter and admitted to Kirtipur Burn Hospital.
Photos taken before their flight to Kathmandu show Minister Paudel with a white bandage wrapped around his left hand and visible burn marks on his face, while Mayor Acharya’s face also appears to have been severely burned.
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