Nepali police have detained an Indian citizen, Kamlesh Kumar, about a hydrogen balloon blast that left Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Paudel injured. The accident took place on February 15 during the launch of ‘Visit Pokhara Year 2025’.
As per police reports, Kumar had filled hydrogen gas balloons, which burst when Deputy PM Bishnu Paudel and Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya released them with a banner. The blast occurred immediately after they lit candles from an electric switch during the ceremony.
Cause of the Explosion and Injuries
The balloons filled with hydrogen burst into flames as candles lit for the occasion were close to them, resulting in an impromptu explosion. Both Bishnu Paudel and Acharya were burned and were flown directly to Kathmandu for treatment.
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
After the accident, authorities registered a case against 41-year-old Kumar in the Kaski district court, Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Sharma confirmed.
Investigation Underway
The blast has been recorded and posted on social media, with the explosion appearing abruptly out of nowhere to cause injury to those nearby. The Kathmandu Post said that the blast occurred after an automatic switch caused a flame, which ignited the balloons filled with hydrogen.
Deputy PM Bishnu Paudel, also the Finance Minister of Nepal, got burnt on his face and hands but was released from hospital on Monday after treatment at Kirtipur Burn Hospital in Kathmandu. Mayor Acharya is being kept under the supervision of the hospital for treatment, hospital officials stated.
On account of the incident, an investigation committee has been constituted by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak to investigate the reason behind it and ensure similar incidents do not take place in the future.
