Spread the love

By Our Reporter

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya were injured in a balloon explosion during the inauguration of Pokhara Visit Year 2025 on Saturday.

After the explosion, which burnt the faces and heads of the two, DPM Paudel and Mayor Acharya were brought and admitted to Burn Hospital in Kirtipur.  Although DPM Paudel was discharged on Monday, Acharya is still undergoing treatment in the hospital.

The incident occurred when a spark from fireworks ignited a balloon, causing a loud explosion. Minister Poudel sustained burn injuries on his hand and face, while Mayor Acharya suffered more severe burns.

The incident is blamed for the negligence on the part of the organizer of the event. It was reported that hydrogen gas was filled in the balloons instead of helium and hydrogen is highly inflammable.  It was also said that most of the balloons in Nepal are filled with hydrogen gas because hydrogen is cheaper than helium. But balloons filled with hydrogen are always risky when they come into contact with fire. The Pokhara incident also proved this.

After the incident, the Home Ministry issued a notice to take cautious measures while flying balloons.

The incident comes as a big lesson to the government to impose a ban on using hydrogen gas in balloons.  The incident has also raised concerns about event safety protocols, urging authorities to ensure stricter safety measures in future programmes.