KATHMANDU, March 18: An investigation committee formed to investigate the balloon explosion that occurred during the Pokhara Visit Year 2025 inauguration ceremony has submitted its report to Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Tuesday.
During the inauguration of the Pokhara Visit Year, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya were injured.
Immediately after the incident, Minister Lekhak made a ministerial decision and formed an eight-member investigation committee under the chairmanship of the Chief District Officer of Kaski, Bharat Mani Pandey.
Balloon Nepal participates in ‘Singha Park Chiang Rai Internati...
The committee conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, suggesting preventive measures and steps to avoid such incidents in the future.
While submitting the report, Home Minister Lekhak has directed Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi to implement the recommendations mentioned in the report.
The committee's report includes several recommendations, such as the need for distinguished individuals attending such events to be mindful of sensitivities, discouraging the tendency to prioritize attendance over security, completely banning the use of flammable materials in stage programs, and ensuring that no events involving technology are included in formal ceremonies without proper risk assessment.
Similarly, the report also highlights areas that need improvement to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. These include enforcing a ban on the unauthorized supply and use of explosive chemicals and flammable materials, ensuring that event organizers provide local authorities with the event's details when applying for permission, prioritizing the use of safe alternatives with a focus on security measures, using non-flammable helium gas for balloon releases, and strictly prohibiting the use of fireworks or explosives without prior permission.
Additionally, the reports mentioned the importance of distinguished individuals attending public events to be well-informed about the event's safety and management in advance, fostering a culture of ensuring safety before participation.
The committee also suggested that, before organizing such events, the organizers should create a plan and maintain continuous, effective coordination with relevant stakeholders. Additionally, for public events (such as gatherings, conferences, fairs, festivals, exhibitions, rallies, etc), the committee recommended formulating clear procedures and standards that cover security arrangements, disaster management, event management methods, and other related aspects.
