Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Paudel and Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya were flown to Kathmandu for treatment after getting burn injuries at the Pokhara Tourism Year inauguration ceremony on Saturday. They were injured when a hydrogen balloon burst on stage.
They have been airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment,” Kaski District Police Office’s Superintendent of Police Shyamnath Oliya said.
The blast occurred as a result of an automatic switch that lit the hydrogen balloon, The Kathmandu Post reported.
बेलुन फुटेर आगो सल्किँदा अर्थमन्त्री विष्णु पौडेल र पोखरा महानगरपालिकाका प्रमुख धनराज आचार्य घाइेत भएका छन्। pic.twitter.com/ECIt4H3kuo
— Bipin Sapkota (@bipinsapkota213) February 15, 2025
Paudel, who is also Nepal’s finance minister, had burns on his hands and face, while Acharya was more seriously injured. The blast was recorded in a viral video that was posted across social media platforms, although its authenticity could not be independently confirmed by The Daily Guardian.
